Ringworm of the scalp in children
Neil, G.; van Dyk, A.; Hanslo, D.; Kibel, M.A.
South African Medical Journal 71(9): 575-576
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0256-9574 PMID: 3576406 Document Number: 286703
Scalp scrapings were collected from 651 children in the Cape Peninsula and along the Western Cape coast. Fungi were isolated from 61%, by far the commonest being Trichophyton violaceum (371 isolates). Other isolates included T. yaoundei (10), T. verrucosum (8), Microsporum canis (7), M. audouinii (6), T. mentagrophytes (6) and T. tonsurans (2). Only half of the specimens showed fungal elements on direct microscopy. Among patients with scaly scalp lesions of varying severity the isolation rate was 64%, but dermatophytes were also isolated from 16% of 50 asymptomatic children. It is suggested that carriers of fungi without obvious ringworm may play an important role in the spread of the disease.