Tinea Capitis Disease Summary

Tinea capitis  is a contagious dermatophytosis affecting the scalp and hair follicles including surrounding skin.
It is most common in the crowded areas as infection originates from contact with a pet or an infected person and asymptomatic carriage persists indefinitely.
It primarily affects children.
Patients usually present with patches of hair loss on the scalp with accompanying scaling and/or black dots within the hair follicle orifice. Cervical or occipital lymphadenopathy is typically present.
The therapy aims to eradicate the infection and its symptoms in a safe and quick manner, to reduce long-term effects (eg scarring), and to prevent further transmission. May start treatment based on symptomatology while waiting for diagnostic confirmation. The treatment of choice is based on main pathogen.

For further information regarding the management of Tinea Capitis, please refer to Disease Algorithm for the Treatment Guideline.