TLDR To treat tinea capitis in children, oral antifungal medication is necessary, with newer drugs offering shorter treatment times than the traditional griseofulvin.
Tinea capitis (TC) is a dermatophyte infection prevalent in prepubertal children, primarily caused by Trichophyton and Microsporum genera, with T. tonsurans being the most common pathogen and M. canis second, especially in the Mediterranean region where pets are significant carriers. Systemic treatment is necessary as topical agents cannot reach the deepest part of the hair follicle. Griseofulvin has been the standard systemic therapy since the late 1950s due to its effectiveness against dermatophytes and long-term safety, but its main drawback is the lengthy treatment period which can affect compliance. Newer oral antifungals like terbinafine, itraconazole, ketokonazole, and fluconazole have similar efficacy and potential side effects as griseofulvin for TC caused by Trichophyton species but require shorter treatment times, although they may be more costly.
41 citations,
September 2007 in “Pediatric emergency care” Oral medication is necessary to treat scalp fungus in children, with griseofulvin being the usual choice.
24 citations,
August 2007 in “Journal of pediatric surgery” Surgery is not the right treatment for a fungal scalp infection; proper medical treatment is needed.
18 citations,
June 2004 in “Mycoses” Two patients with a rare scalp fungus in Poland were successfully treated with griseofulvin and ciclopirox.
May 2024 in “Journal of Fungi” Tinea capitis in adults, especially postmenopausal Black women, needs prompt treatment with oral antifungals to avoid scarring.
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.
September 2003 in “Current Paediatrics” The document concludes that accurate diagnosis and understanding the type of hair disorder are crucial for treating hair loss in children.
32 citations,
June 2017 in “Journal of infection/The Journal of infection” The document concludes that terbinafine is effective for treating scalp fungal infections in children and recommends not excluding them from school during treatment, while also highlighting the need for updated treatment guidelines due to changing infection patterns.
1 citations,
March 2022 in “Berkala Ilmu Kesehatan Kulit dan Kelamin/Berkala ilmu kesehatan kulit dan kelamin (Periodical of dermatology and venerology)” Trichoscopy helps diagnose and monitor the treatment of fungal scalp infections in children.
