| Sub-title | |
| Authors | L Vella Zahra L Scerri P Gatt M J Boffa E Borg E Mifsud D Vella Briffa |
| Abstract | Over a seven-year period (1995 2001), a total of 2352 specimens (1638 skin scrapings and 420 nail and 294 hair specimens) were submitted for mycological investigations from 2236 patients. Of the 690 patients who were diagnosed with dermatophytosis, there were 122 (18%) patients who had tinea capitis. These patients were predominantly children with boys (n = 78) outnumbering the girls (n = 38); their mean age was 6 years (age range 2 17 years). Additionally, there were 6 adult females (mean age 63 years, age range 47 76 years) with scalp ringworm. The dermatophytes isolated were Microsporum canis (n = 102), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (n = 7), T. soudanense (n = 4), T. violaceum (n = 4), M. audouinii (n = 3), T. verrucosum (n = 1), T. tonsurans var. sulphureum (n = 1) and M. persicolor (n = 1). Tinea capitis due to M. canis was more common in boys (n = 64) than in girls (n = 38), although this was not found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05). Microsporum canis is also the commonest agent of tinea capitis in Southern European, Eastern Mediterranean and South American countries. Unlike northern Europe and the USA, T. tonsurans has not had any significant upsurge in isolation rates over the past years in Malta. Some patients (n = 28) gave a history of contact with a possibly infected animal, principally cats, dogs and rabbits. |
Published in: | |
| Journal | Malta Medical Journal |
| Volume | 15 Issue 1-2/suppl. 2003 |
| Pages | - |
| Date | |
| Link to journal | |
| Key words | tinea capitis, skin scrapings, dermatophytosis |