Profile of patients with tinea capitis

Abstract

Tinea capitis is dermatophyte infection of the scalp and hair, affecting mainly prepubertal children. Its incidence has increased over the last decades. If not diagnosed and treated properly, it might reach epidemic soon. This study was descriptive retrospective study which evaluated the incidence and profile of tinea capitis among patients of Micology Division, Outpatient Clinic of Dermatology and Venereology Department, Dr. Soetomo General Hospital Surabaya in 2014 - 2016. There were 42 tinea capitis new cases. It was most prevalent among the age group of 5-14 years old. Male was more common. The most common main complaint was itching. The most frequent predisposing factor was cat exposure. Squama was the most prevalent efflorescence. KOH examination data showed that 57.1% patients were arthrospore positive and 66.7% were positive in Wood lamp examination. Culture was done among 24 patients with positive result of 52.4% and Microsporum canis as the most prevalent dermatophytes. There were 33.3% patients diagnosed with grey patch type. The most common treatment was oral griseofulvin. Follow-ups were done to all patients but only 64.3% who visited back.

Clinical and Cure Profile of Tinea Capitis Patients

“…Other clinical features include erythematous macule, hypopigmentation, papule, hyperpigmentation, erosion, grayish macule, pustule, nodule, and crust. 17 Fungal culture, the gold standard for dermatophytosis diagnostics, was performed on all patients, and all results showed positive. Microsporum canis was the most common causative species identified.…”

“…4 Furthermore, a retrospective study involving 466 dermatophytosis patients at the Mycology Division of the Dermatology and Venerology Outpatient Clinic of Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital Surabaya for the period 2014-2016 reported that the majority of dermatophytosis cases were tinea corporis (56.1%), followed by tinea cruris (34.3%) and tinea capitis (6.4%). 5 Tinea capitis requires systemic and topical treatment. Options for antifungal are griseofulvin, terbinafine, itraconazole, and fluconazole.…”

Gray Patch Tinea Capitis in Two Siblings

“…Tinea capitis is a disease that is caused by dermatophyte infection in scalp and hair that usually found in 6-month-old to 12-year-old children [1]. This dermatophytosis could be found globally especially in tropical area, such as Lombok Island in Indonesia which is an area with tropical climate [2].…”

“…The epidemiology varied based on the geographical location. The prevalence of tinea capitis varied within the range of 7,1% to 47,5% worldwide [1,6]. Research conducted by Gajula, et al, in 2021 in India found that gray patch tinea capitis was the most common clinical picture at 36.9% and ages 5 to 10 years were the most common patients, which is 55.4% [3,5].…”

“…This dermatophyte infection affect the hairy keratinized skin and follicle that could lead to pruritus, inflammation, scales, and even hair loss. The examination that could be done to establish a diagnosis are Wood lamp, 20% potassium hydroxide (KOH) examination, and trichoscopy [1].…”