Tinea capitis in infants in their first year of life

Background Tinea capitis is the most common type of dermatophytosis in children, but is uncommon in the first year of life. Objecgives To review clinical, mycological and epidemiological data in a series of 10 infants aged under 1 year diagnosed as having tinea capitis in three Spanish hospitals between 1998 and 2002. Methods A retrospective case note study. Results There were six boys and four girls with a mean of age 7 months (range 1.5-12). All the children were born in Spain, but in five cases the parents were immigrants from Africa. In these cases the isolated dermatophytes were two Trichophyton tonsurans, one T. verrucosum and two Microsporum audouinii. Four autochthonous cases were caused by M. canis and one by M. audouinii (but this one was in contact with African immigrants). In two of the five cases produced by anthropophilic dermatophytes other family members were infected by the same fungus. Most cases were treated successfully with griseofulvin. Conclusions Although tinea capitis is rare in infants in their first year of life, the condition should be investigated if scaling and/or alopecia are present. A thorough epidemiological study of other family members is mandatory.