Tinea capitis

What it is, and where it sits among the ringworms

Tinea capitis is the dermatophyte infection of hair and scalp. The types of ringworm depend upon the site of involvement, and the whole set is worth holding together:

• Tinea capitis: scalp
• Tinea faciei: face excluding beard and moustache
• Tinea barbae: beard and moustache
• Tinea cruris: groin
• Tinea corporis: trunk and extremities
• Tinea pedis: soles or toes
• Tinea unguim: nail
• Tinea manum: palm

Causes and spread

It is spread by direct contact with animals, humans and fomites.

How it presents

The case is a 6 years old boy brought by his mother with hair loss for 3 weeks, and examination shows a well demarcated alopecic patch with scales and erythema. Broken hairs is a prominent feature.

Two clinical variants are drawn out:

• The black dot variant.
• The inflammatory variant, the kerion.

The point that separates it from its main mimic: tinea capitis will have an erythematous base in compare to alopecia areata.