Trichoscopy for Tinea Capitis

Tinea capitis is a common dermatophyte infection involving the scalp and hair shaft and is often observed in children. Trichoscopy is a non-invasive tool that helps in the early diagnosis and prompt treatment of tinea capitis.

The present study described the trichoscopic features of tinea capitis and its different clinical variants with the aid of trichoscopy. It included patients clinically diagnosed with tinea capitis.

The study observed-

• Recruitment of 50 patients with tinea capitis. 
• The commonest age group was 6-10 years (52%), and 54% of the patients were female. 
• 92 % of the population were students. 
• 38% of cases had a Family history of tinea capitis.
• Clinical variants like black dots in 40% of patients, followed by gray patches in 30% of patients, kerion in 16% of patients, and combined type (both gray patches and black dots) in 8% of patients. 
• The commonest trichoscopic feature was black dots in 80%, followed by comma hairs in 76%, corkscrew hairs in 66%, and broken hairs in 48%.

This study highlights trichoscopy as a non-invasive tool that aids in diagnosing tinea capitis without using wood’s lamps and laboratory investigations.

Joshi A, Jha AK, Shrestha S, Thapa DP, Joshi S, Amatya B. Trichoscopic Study on Tinea Capitis: A Hospital Based Study. Nepal Journal of Dermatology, Venereology &Amp; Leprology. 2022;20(2):36–41. https://doi.org/10.3126/njdvl.v20i2.45390