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Tinea capitis of childhood: Incidence and pathogenetic role of Trichophyton tonsurans in Central Europe

Authors :
Matthias Möhrenschlager
Hans Peter Seidl
Dietrich Abeck
Gabriele Ginter-Hanselmayer
Source :
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 45:320
Publication Year :
2001
Publisher :
Elsevier BV, 2001.

Abstract

(Elewski BE. Tinea capitis: a current perspective. J Am Acad Dermatol 2000;42:1-20). The author reports an increase in the number of pediatric tinea capitis infections in the United States and elsewhere in the world. Furthermore, according to the author, current cases of anthropophilic tinea capitis in Western Europe are predominantly due to Trichophyton tonsurans. According to our data, we cannot support the author’s estimation, at least for the metropolitan areas of Munich, Germany, and Graz, Austria. From 1995 through 1999, the number of culturepositive childhood causes of tinea capitis per year at our outpatient clinics were 139, 132, 121, 87, and 152, respectively. Only in 1995 were two cases of tinea capitis caused by T tonsurans identified (unpublished data). Although it is not clear whether this number of detected tinea capitis cases presenting to our dermatological departments reflects the situation within the entire community, we do not believe there is a significant increase of tinea capitis infections or any substantial role for T tonsurans in eliciting current cases of anthropophilic tinea capitis in Central Europe. To elicit the true number of new tinea capitis infections as well as the causative fungi, more epidemiologic studies in different parts of the world, including Europe, are warranted.

Details

ISSN :
01909622
Volume :
45
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........eba035d300c377f9b6f2250e766ab8ce
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1067/mjd.2001.113613