Aetiological changes of tinea capitis in the Hubei area in 60years: Focus on adult tinea capitis.

Abstract

Tinea capitis is a common dermatophyte infection of the scalp primarily affecting children, with less frequent, though not rare, observation in adults. This study aimed to assess changes in the causative agents of adult tinea capitis over a 60-year period in the Hubei area. A retrospective, single-centre study was performed on 164 adults with tinea capitis between 1960 and 2020. Out of 1113 cases of tinea capitis, 164 patients were adults, representing 14.7% of all patients. Adult tinea capitis was slightly more prevalent in males (91, 55.5%) than in females (73, 44.5%), but gender difference was not statistically significant between adults and children. Adult tinea capitis was most prevalent between the ages of 18 and 29years, with a mean age of 22years. Trichophyton schoenleinii was the most common dermatophyte in adult tinea capitis (78, 47.6%), followed by Trichophyton violaceum (58, 35.4%). Most adult tinea capitis cases before the 1980s were caused by T.schoenleinii, but T.violaceum has become the leading pathogen for recent adult tinea capitis cases. Tinea capitis is not a disease exclusive to children. On the contrary, an upward trend of tinea capitis in adults has been observed in recent years. T.violaceum has become the dominant causative agent of adult tinea capitis in the Hubei area, replacing T.schoenleinii. These results provide a better understanding of the treatment and prevention of tinea capitis in adults.