TLDR A young man was initially misdiagnosed with a scalp condition but was found to have a fungal infection, which improved with antifungal treatment.
The document describes the case of a 19-year-old Hispanic male who was initially diagnosed with dissecting cellulitis but was later correctly diagnosed with inflammatory tinea capitis due to Trichophyton tonsurans. The patient had symptoms including a large painful plaque on the scalp, patchy hair loss, and pustules. Diagnosis was made using KOH preparation, scalp biopsy, and fungal culture. After 17 months of treatment with antifungal medications, the patient experienced significant improvement, regrowing 95% of his scalp hair. The case highlights the need to consider tinea capitis as a possible diagnosis in adults with inflammatory scalp conditions to avoid permanent hair loss. The rarity of tinea capitis in postpubertal individuals and the importance of accurate diagnosis and treatment are also discussed.
24 citations,
July 2009 in “Mycoses” A scalp infection was treated successfully, leading to full hair regrowth.
21 citations,
February 2009 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Some cases of tinea capitis, a fungal scalp infection, can look like scarring hair loss due to the body's immune response and the fungus itself.
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32 citations,
August 2003 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Tinea capitis can be misdiagnosed as bacterial infection in adult women but is treatable with antifungal medication.
44 citations,
March 1991 in “International Journal of Dermatology” Prompt treatment of inflammatory tinea capitis (kerion) is crucial to prevent scarring and hair loss.
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.
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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.
