Tinea capitis: Still no change in the etiological spectrum of disease in our scenario

Background: Tinea capitis, the most common fungal infection in children, is caused by dermatophytes of both genera Trichophyton and Microsporum. In our community, Trichophyton violaceum is the usual pathogen while other organisms have been rarely reported. The spectrum of causative fungi may vary with time. Objective: The study was planned to identify the etiologic agents of disease at present and determine if this pattern has changed over the years or not. Methods: From clinically suspected cases of tinea capitis, skin scraping and hair samples were taken and subjected to microscopy and fungal culture. Results: Of 58 evaluable patients (57 children and 1 adult), 39 were males and 19 females. T. violaceum was the most common etiologic agent responsible for 91% of infection while M. canis was seen in 9% of the patients as a causative pathogen. Conclusion: There is still no change in the spectrum of etiological fungi in tinea capitis after a long time in our setup.