title: Scalp ringworm in south-east London and an analysis of a cohort of patients from a paediatric dermatology department.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Scalp ringworm or tinea capitis has become an increasingly important public health issue in the past decade in Great Britain. Recently, certain dermatology departments in London have seen a large increase in tinea capitis in all its forms.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this paper is to present the detailed analysis of a cohort of 277 patients with tinea capitis seen during a 2-year period together with the latest local figures of tinea capitis cases from an inner city paediatric dermatology service. Methods Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected prospectively over 2 years from all cases of ringworm in patients seen in a paediatric clinic specially set up for scalp problems.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-two per cent of 277 cases of scalp ringworm were caused by Trichophyton tonsurans, occurring mainly (91%) in patients with Afro-Caribbean hair type, more often in boys (68%), and in the 3-8 year olds (70%). Only 7% of the patients had received appropriate treatment with oral griseofulvin. An additional 156 cases from the general paediatric dermatology clinic showed 91%T. tonsurans infections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of scalp ringworm appears to be reaching epidemic proportions in certain areas that include south-east London. The clinical problem is not yet well recognized by local general practitioners.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, Camberwell, London SE5 9RS, UK. claire.fuller@kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Child
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Midgley
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Higgins
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003469:Culture; D003880:Dermatology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair; D006748:Hospital Departments; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014006:Tinea Capitis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014249:Trichophyton