Tinea Capitis: A Practical Approach

The 2019 article provided an overview of tinea capitis, a scalp fungal infection primarily affecting children, and discussed its diagnosis, epidemiology, and treatment. It noted the rise of Trichophyton tonsurans as a common cause and the utility of trichoscopy for diagnosis and treatment monitoring, revealing specific hair patterns like comma and corkscrew hairs. The paper emphasized the importance of choosing the right antifungal treatment—terbinafine for Trichophyton spp. and griseofulvin or itraconazole for Microsporum spp.—and indicated that topical therapy alone is not effective. It also mentioned the emergence of Trichophyton violaceum in Milan's pediatric population and the use of corticosteroids for kerion caused by Microsporum canis. The document highlighted that trichoscopy could predict clinical cure and stressed the necessity of systematic antifungal therapy for affected children. Specific study sizes were not mentioned in the summary provided.