Tinea Capitis: Ringworm Causes Hair Loss
Dermatophytes cause this infection of the scalp. Adults seem to get tinea capitis less often. It can happen at any age, but children are most likely to have it. Because of tinea capitis, boys are more likely than girls to lose their hair. Tinea Capitis can be described as follows: The word "head" is "capitis," and the word "worm" is "tinea." The disease is caused by either a Trichophyton or a Mikrosporum species. Anthropophilic dermatophytes grow from spores (called endotrix) in the hair, and the hair falls out at the skin level. Some are caused by ectotrix, which are tiny fungi that grow around the hair and mess up the cuticle. So the hair turns white and falls out.
Different kinds of Tinea Capitis
There are basically three kinds of clinical:
Tinea capitis superficial (Ringworm)
Tinea capitis scalp is common in kindergarten and elementary school kids, but adults rarely get it because puberty makes the sebum have more fatty acids that stop fungi from growing. When a person hits puberty, most infections go away on their own.
Tinea capitis profonda (Kerion Celsi)
This clinical form of tinea scalp, which is the inflammatory form, is caused by the body's immune system reacting to fungal elements. Before a person hits puberty, kerion celsi begins as mild tinea capitis. Then, pustules and nodules of different sizes form on the scalp, and a thick layer of blood and pus forms on the lesion, making it look like a tumor. The lesion's hairs don't stick together, so they are easy to pull out. Pus comes out of the follicles when you press on them. You might as well try to pull a hair out of butter. A person could have lymphadenopathy. If a person has a second infection, they may have pain and fever. A vesicular or pustular id reaction can happen in different parts of the body. The person could also get erythema nodosum. When wounds heal, scars are left behind.
Favus
Favus is a disease of the scalp caused by fungi. T. schoenlein is what causes infections, which usually affect the scalp but can also affect the skin and nails. If a doctor doesn't treat a disease before puberty, it can get worse after puberty. Favus is easily recognized by the scutula, which are yellow, sunken crusts around the hair. It smells awful (described as rat urine). There is a thin and red floor under the scutula. It causes scarring hair loss, especially at the top of the head. When the scutula stick together, they can form big plaques. During the healing process, the scalp loses tissue, which makes the hair fall out for good. It doesn't happen as often as it used to.
Symptoms of tinea capitis and how to tell if it's something else
The way a person looks isn't the only way to make a diagnosis. Microscopy and cultures can also be used. Differential diagnosis is important, and a big part of it is Wood's light.
It's important to find out what kind of ringworms are in the hair. Such as alopecia areata, pitriasis simplex, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, tinea aminantecea, trichotillomania, secondary syphilis, impetigo, infected pediculosis capitis, kerion celsi, DLE, and lichen planus.
How to Treat Tinea Capitis
Use antifungal medicines that can be taken anywhere on the body. (Check out Hair Fungus to learn more about hair fungus.) Itraconazole, terbinafine, and fluconazole can be used on adults, while griseofulvin can be used on children.
At home, you can treat tinea capitis with shampoos that have selenium sulfide or ketoconazole. For the shampoo to work, it needs to stay on the ringworm for 5 minutes. Things like brushes and combs that are used to protect hair can be kept in this shampoo. Shampoos for dandruff can make ringworm on the scalp more likely to grow.
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