Neonatal kerion Celsi: report of three cases

Abstract

Tinea capitis is a fungal infection caused by dermatophytes, frequent in children but uncommon in the neonatal period. Kerion Celsi is the inflammatory manifestation of tinea capitis secondary to host immunologic responses and its occurrence in newborns is extremely infrequent. We describe three neonates with the diagnosis of kerion Celsi. The isolated dermatophytes were Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. mentagrophytes in two patients and Trichophyton rubrum in the third. Both patients with T. mentagrophytes referred an indirect contact with rabbits and were successfully treated with systemic antifungal (griseofulvin and fluconazole). The patient with T. rubrum had a father with a tinea manuum and both received just topical antimycotic treatment.