TLDR Comma hairs are a new sign for identifying scalp fungal infections.
The document discusses the identification of comma hairs as a new dermoscopic marker for diagnosing tinea capitis, a fungal infection of the scalp primarily affecting children. Two cases are described where patients presented with alopecia and scalp lesions, and dermoscopy revealed comma-shaped hairs, which are indicative of hair shafts ruptured by fungal hyphae. In both cases, treatment with oral griseofulvin led to complete resolution of the condition. The paper emphasizes the utility of trichoscopy as a quick, reliable, inexpensive, and noninvasive diagnostic tool for tinea capitis, which can be difficult to diagnose clinically, especially in black children where corkscrew hairs have been proposed as another dermoscopic marker. The study suggests that trichoscopy offers better diagnostic performance than clinical inspection alone by revealing distinctive features of various hair and scalp disorders.
108 citations,
March 2011 in “Archives of Dermatology” Corkscrew hair may be a new sign for quickly diagnosing scalp fungus in black children.
24 citations,
July 2009 in “Mycoses” A scalp infection was treated successfully, leading to full hair regrowth.
143 citations,
October 2008 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Comma hairs are a specific sign of tinea capitis when viewed with videodermatoscopy.
150 citations,
April 2008 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Scalp dermoscopy is good for diagnosing a type of hair loss and helps choose the best spots for biopsy.
304 citations,
July 2006 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Videodermoscopy improves diagnosis of hair and scalp disorders and may reduce scalp biopsies.
1 citations,
January 2021 in “Our Dermatology Online” A scalp infection can look like alopecia areata and get worse if treated incorrectly.
10 citations,
January 2016 in “Dermatology online journal” Adults with persistent scalp issues unresponsive to typical treatments should be tested for the fungal infection tinea capitis to start the right antifungal medication.
65 citations,
January 2005 in “American journal of clinical dermatology” Children with scalp fungal infections need proper diagnosis and treatment, usually with antifungal medications, and newer drugs may offer quicker recovery.
