Tinea Capitis Mimicking Alopecia Areata

In 2021, a case study was conducted on an adult patient who was initially diagnosed with alopecia areata, a condition causing hair loss, but was later found to have tinea capitis, a common scalp infection usually seen in children. The patient underwent a month of treatment for alopecia areata without any clinical benefits. A scalp biopsy revealed the presence of an endothrix dermatophytosis, a type of fungal infection, leading to a change in the patient's treatment to 250 mg of terbinafine daily for 8 weeks and 2% ketoconazole shampoo. After two months of this therapy, the patient showed hair regrowth and resolution of symptoms. The study concluded that tinea capitis can mimic the dermoscopic features of alopecia areata and can worsen under incorrect treatment, such as corticosteroids.