ABSTRACT
Tinea capitis (TC) is a common fungal infection of the scalp and hair shaft caused by dermatophytes—fungi that invade the stratum corneum and use keratin as a nutrient source. TC involves primary the scalp but may also involve the beard, eyelashes, and eyebrows. It is considered rare in adults. The pathogens of TC belong to only two genera: Trichophyton and Microsporum. Regarding types of hair shaft invasion, TC is classified in three types: Ectothrix, Endothrix, and Favus. Clinical diagnosis of TC can be challenging, as symptoms vary from minimal pruritus with little hair loss to severe inflammatory lesions with crusts, edema, and pus discharge. The clinical aspect depends on the causative organism, type of hair invasion, level of host resistance and degree of inflammatory host response. Differential diagnosis of TC includes diseases associated with hair loss and with inflammatory signs at different stages. In children, the main differential diagnoses are localized or patchy alopecias, such as alopecia areata and trichotillomania.
