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T. tonsurans is an anthropophilic dermatophyte causing several clinical variants of tinea capitis including the Kerion celsi that can be often unrecognised or confused with other lesions. We report a case of Kerion celsi caused by Trichophyton tonsurans in a child following an excoriation to the scalp caused by a fall in a public park. The use of multiplex PCR assay has enabled rapid diagnosis of tinea capitis from T. tonsurans with a result in less than 48 hours and therefore the possibility of quickly starting antifungal therapy. The patient had a complete recovery at the end of the antifungal treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a case of Hymenolepis diminuta infection in a 2-year-old child living in a suburban area of Catania, Italy. This case was initially referred to us as Dipylidium caninum infection, which was not cured after being treated twice with mebendazole. However, by analyzing the clinical presentation and stool samples we arrived to the diagnosis of H. diminuta infection. The case presented with atypical allergic manifestations which had never been reported as clinical features of symptomatic H. diminuta infection; remittent fever with abdominal pain, diffuse cutaneous itching, transient thoracic rash, and arthromyalgias. The patient was treated with a 7-day cycle of oral niclosamide, which proved to be safe and effective. This case report emphasizes that a correct parasitological diagnosis requires adequate district laboratories and trained personnel. In addition, we recommend the importance of reporting all H. diminuta infection cases, in order to improve knowledge on epidemiology, clinical presentation, and treatment protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]