Trichoscopy as a Useful Method to Differentiate Tinea Capitis from Alopecia Areata in Children at Zagazig University Hospitals

In a study at Zagazig University Hospitals involving 60 pediatric patients, trichoscopy was used to distinguish between tinea capitis (TC) and alopecia areata (AA). The study found that comma hairs, zigzag hairs, Morse code hairs, and corkscrew hairs were more characteristic of TC, while yellow dots and micro-exclamation mark hairs were sensitive markers for AA. Although some features like black dots and short broken hairs were present in both conditions, the study concluded that trichoscopy is a valuable non-invasive diagnostic tool for differentiating between TC and AA in children.