Tinea capitis is a disease caused by a dermatophyte fungal infection of the scalp and hair shaft. Symptoms can range from scaly and patchy scalp, to widespread inflammation and baldness.
This disease is more experienced by children, especially boys aged 3-7 years. Tinea capitis is very easy to spread through intermediary objects that have been exposed to dermatophyte fungi, or direct contact with infected animals or people.
Symptoms of Tinea Capitis
Symptoms of tinea captis can vary in each patient, including:
- There is a seborrheic form on the scalp characterized by scaly skin and less visible hair loss.
- There is a pattern of crusty (pus) pustules in one location or spread.
- There are black dots, which are a sign of hair loss from a scaly scalp.
In addition, tinea captis can also be accompanied by symptoms of swollen lymph nodes at the back of the neck, and a mild fever. While the symptoms that appear in more severe conditions are the presence of kerion (scabs) with a scaly, circular pattern of skin, and the appearance of favus or yellow crusts with tangled hair.
Causes of Tinea Capitis
Tinea Capitis is a scalp disease caused by dermatophyte fungi that develop on the skin tissue. This infection is more common in sweaty, damp skin, and attacks the outer layers of the scalp and hair shaft. The types of dermatophyte fungi that can attack hair are: Trichophyton (T) and Microsporum (M).
Tinea capitis is highly contagious and easily spreads. The following are the ways in which it is distributed:
- Spread between humans through direct skin contact. The types of dermatophyte fungi that are often transmitted this way are: T. violaceum, M.audouinii, M. ferrugineum, T. rubrum, T. schoenleinii, T. yaoundei, T. soudanense, and megninii.
- Spread from objects to humans through objects contaminated with fungi. Examples of mushrooms are gypsum and M. fulvum.
- Spread from animals to humans. Examples of mushrooms are T. verrucosum (from farm animals), M. distortum (from cat),T. mentagrophytes var equinum (of the horse), and M. nanum (from pigs).
Diagnosis of Tinea Capitis
Doctors can suspect a patient has tinea capitis based on the symptoms felt and a physical examination of the scalp. To detect the presence of fungus on the scalp or hair shaft, the doctor will need a device called a Wood's lamp.
To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor may suggest further tests, namely a biopsy and skin culture. The examination aims to determine the type of fungus that attacks the scalp, and the process usually takes up to 3 weeks.
Tinea Capitis Treatment
Treatment of tinea capitis aims to eradicate dermatophyte fungi that infect the scalp. Drugs that are generally prescribed are antifungal in the form of shampoo. An example is a shampoo that contains selenium sulphide povidone-iodine, orketoconazole. Treatment with shampoo is done 2 times a week, for 1 month. The patient is then advised to see a doctor again.
If the results of the examination show that the fungus is still present, then the use of shampoo needs to be combined with drinking antifungals, such as: griseofluvin orterbinafine. Oral antifungals need to be taken for about 6 weeks. Although quite effective, the use of griseofluvin and terbinafine hydrochloride still have the potential to cause side effects.
Side effects terbinafinehydrochloride can be:
- Headache
- Stomach ache
- Rash or hives
- Itch
- Allergic reaction
- Changes in taste or loss of taste in the mouth
- Fever
- Liver disorders (rare)
While the side effects of griseofulvin are:
- Headache
- Body feels tired
- Skin becomes sensitive to sunlight
- Rash or hives
- Throw up
- Allergic reaction
- Dizzy
- Faint
The condition of patients with tinea capitis usually begins to show improvement after 4-6 weeks of treatment. Patients are still advised to carry out regular check-ups so that doctors know the progress of the condition so that they are completely clear of infection.
In addition to treatment for patients, treatment of tinea capitis also needs to be carried out on the sufferer's family, as well as school friends or work friends.
Complications of Tinea Captis
Complications that can arise after experiencing tinea captis are hair loss or baldness, as well as permanent scarring. This condition occurs when tinea captis on the scalp becomes kerion or favus. As a result, the hair becomes easily loose if pulled, so that permanent baldness can occur.
Prevention of Tinea Capitis
The following are some ways that can be applied to reduce the risk of transmission of tinea captis:
- Always keep your hands clean.
- Wash your hair and scalp regularly with shampoo.
- Do not share the use of items, such as combs, towels, and clothes with others.
- Avoid infected animals.