Tinea capitis: An update

Abstract

Tinea capitis is an important superficial infection and affects children globally. A literature review was conducted to identify recent findings and the current understanding of this fungal infection. Here, we highlight updates on important aspects of tinea capitis including advances in dermatophyte detection and diagnosis and comparing these new methods to more traditional techniques. Additionally, aspects of treating tinea capitis are discussed, including the importance of mycological confirmation and current means of treatment, and the treatment of asymptomatic carriers are reviewed. This review also examines the subject of laboratory monitoring of patients undergoing treatment with systemic antifungals; we discuss the opinions of prominent researchers and currently accepted guidelines. Lastly, we provide answers to several common questions that practitioners may encounter when treating a child with tinea capitis.

Keywords: dermatophyte; fungal infection; ringworm; tinea capitis.