Tinea Capitis in 31 Year Old Adult Male: A Rare Entity

Abstract

Tinea capitis also called as ring worm of the hair is a superficial fungal infection (dermatophytosis) of the scalp. The clinical presentation is typically single or multiple patches of hair loss, sometimes with a 'black dot' pattern (often with broken-off hairs), that may be accompanied by inflammation, scaling, pustules, and itching. Tinea Capitis affects primarily pre-pubertal children between 6 and 10 years, it is more common in males than females; rarely does the disease persist past age sixteen.3 When it occurs in adults the clinical features may be atypical and this may delay the diagnosis. The most common clinical features are severe itching of the scalp, dandruff, and bald patches where the fungus has rooted itself in the skin. It is uncommon in adults, but an immune defect may facilitate hair invasion. Physical barriers such as the intact keratinized layer of skin, as well as the effect of UV light, physiochemical factors of temperature, moisture and pH, and fungistatic fatty acids on the skin play a vital role in resisting contact with the organism. The quantity of fungistatic saturated fatty acids in sebum increases at puberty, and this is thought to explain the rarity of tinea capitis in adults.