Successful treatment of fungal ball-associated tinea capitis in a healthy infant: An unusual presentation

Key Clinical MessagePresentation of tinea capitis with fungal mass in an infant is extremely rare. Tinea capitis with and without abscess formation is prone to be misdiagnosed in infants and should be considered as a differential diagnosis of inflammatory hair loss in infants and toddlers as well as school-aged children. Tinea capitis is the scalp fungal infection that most often affects early school children. It rarely affects neonates and adults. The presentation of fungal ball in the setting of tinea capitis is extremely rare. Herein, we describe a 7-month-old girl with a fungal ball associated with tinea capitis with a scalp mass adjacent to the scalp dermatophytosis. To our knowledge, this is the first case of fungal ball in a healthy infant with tinea capitis.

Automated summary

The presence of a fungal mass in an infant with tinea capitis is extremely rare and can easily be misdiagnosed as inflammatory hair loss in infants, toddlers, and school-aged children. Tinea capitis is most commonly seen in early school children, rarely occurring in neonates and adults. The occurrence of a fungal ball in a healthy infant with tinea capitis has not been previously reported.