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The tinea capitis or ringworm of the scalp

  1. Gastroepato
  2. Dermatology
  3. Tinea capitis
  4. Alopecia
  5. The patient who loses hair: causes
  6. Skin lesions
  7. Fungal infection

doctor's notes Claudio Italiano

Tinea capitis

See before to the page about mycoses, we now speak about the tinea capitis, also called the "ringworm of the scalp" which is not only the conditions in which the hair fall, but it's a real infections of the skin and skin appendages (hairs and nails) due to mycoses, not by worms. In the past Tinea capitis was an alopecia of the children.

The tinea are a fungal superficial lesion  of the scalp  that manifest themselves as:

Dermatophyte lesions: tinea capitis, the scutuli

- partially alopecic areas
- eritemated-desquamative patches
- nail lesions.

Epidemiology

The capillice tins are still today among the most frequent infections in developing countries, while they are rare in industrialized countries for improved hygienic conditions.
On the other hand, the cones of the hairless skin, for example inguinal folds and feet, are still widespread today, being able to spread for the promiscuous use of swimming pools, showers, baths, etc. Particularly widespread in military environments, where soldiers keep personal effects for beards, combs and so on, inside plastic bags, with the result that the mushrooms spread and are spread through the scarification of the skin, during the shaving operation and, in any case, for poor hygiene standards.

Etiopathogenesis

The disease is caused by dermatophytes, ie the skin fungus, which have keratolytic power, ie to dissolve the keratin of which the hairs and nails are made and to grow easily on the skin. All these mycoses  have the power to attack the keratin, a filamentous protein, of which it is constituted the stratum corneum of the epidermis, the hair and the nails. In fact, they are equipped with keratinases, an enzyme capable of dissolving keratin and allowing the growth of the mycetes.

They belong to the class of Ascomycetes, which in turn are distinguished in:

- microsporum
- trichophyton
- epidermophyton

Generally children are infected with each other, while playing, or for contact with pets, especially cats and dogs.
The genus trychophyton, as the same name says, (from the Greek: of the hair, the plant) parasitize the body hairs and form large spores inside the hairs (endothrix macrospore), or spores of the "chain" type outside the hair (ectothrix macrospore) or small spores (ectothrix microspores), or outside and inside at the same time. The dermatologist who visits you, uses a simple trick to recognize fungi injuries: it uses Wood light, that is dark lamps with ultraviolet light, to nickel oxides.

The following species belong to you:

T. mentagrophytes, which is characterized by the ectothrix type of microspore, not visible in the light of Wood, that is with the ultraviolet lamp, of which man can be infected with the proximity of domestic animals, in particular children who touch dogs and cats and then they scratch the skin; the man can be infected on the beard and spread the infection with the razor, even by barbers, especially those who do not observe the hygiene rules. It is a classic infectious with military barber! It is also reported infection of inguinal folds, especially in sexual relations with prostitutes of low village or at the foot, bathing in showers in the gym, in the factory, and always in the barracks, where the medical officer does not do his duty!

T. rubrum, a endo-ectothrix macrospore species, negative to Wood's lamp, responsible for the cones of the feet, the axillary and inguinal folds, very common in Italy.
T. schoenleini, species with macrospore endo-e / o ectothrix, weakly positive in the light of Wood, responsible for the ringworm favosa, so called for the yellow-sulfur color of the lesions
T. tonsurans, T. verrucosum T. violaceum are other uncommon species, responsible for capillice tigneous today difficult to find.
Tinea barbae from T. mentagrophytes

The genus microsporum includes mushrooms that parasitize the hair on the outside and form a sheath of small spores, hence the name micros and sporum, therefore spore ectothrix.

We distinguish:
M. canis, a positive species to Wood's lamp, which affects our pets, dogs and cats and, therefore, the children who play and caress these animals, especially if they are not washed and treated by vets! It spreads to the scalp and the skin of the inguinal folds, also, for example, by direct contagion during promiscuous sexual relations.

M. gypseum, negative in the light of Wood, which can also give the cones and infections to the inguinal skin.

Treatment

Specific therapy with antifungal drugs, such as fluconazole or Griseofulvina or Terbinafina. The treatment is not without side effects and must be prescribed by your doctor.
Medicated shampoo and creams
Your doctor may prescribe a medicated shampoo to remove fungus and prevent the spread of infection. The shampoo contains the active antifungal ingredient ketoconazole or selenium sulfide.
Topic drug such as creams are: Allilamines • Nafifine • Terbinafine Cream and solution 1% Cream, solution, gel 1% Dermatophytes (fungicide) Some non-dermatophyte molds Yeasts (fungistatic in vitro) 1 / die Azoles • Bifonazole, clotrimazole, econazole, fenticonazole, fluconazole, ketoconazole, isoconazole, miconazole, sulconazole, tioconazole
 

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