title: Clinical types of tinea capitis and species identification in children: an experience from tertiary care centres of Karachi, Pakistan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the clinical types of Tinea Capitis and identify species in children reporting to two tertiary care centres of Karachi, Pakistan.
  
  
  METHODS
  The descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted at the Dermatology Outpatients' Department, PNS Shifa Hospital and the Institute of Skin Diseases, Karachi, from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2009. It comprised 202 children with clinical diagnosis of tinea capitis, confirmed by skin scrapings, showing fungal hyphae and spores in 10% potassium hydroxide on direct microscopy. Wood's lamp examination was carried out and the scrapings were cultured on Sabouraud's agar. A detailed dermatological examination was performed for evidence of fungal infection elsewhere in the body. SPSS 19 was used for data analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Male-to-female ratio was 1.1:1 and age ranged from 1 to 14 years.The commonest clinical type gray patch was observed in 71 (35.1%) of the patients, black dot in 63 (31.2%), kerion in 50 (24.8%), favus in 10 (5.0%), diffuse pustular in 6 (3.0%), and diffuse scale in 2 (1.0%) patients. The most frequent species grown on culture was Trichophyton (T). Soudanense, followed by T. Tonsurans, T. Schoenleinii, and T. Mentagrophytes respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most of the patients of Tinea capitis presented with gray patch and black dot variety. The most common species identified by culture was Trichophyton Soudanense. Disease was equal in both gender and predominantly affected the population belonging to low and middle socioeconomic class.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farooqi
authors.forename: Saadia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tabassum
authors.forename: Dilawar Abbas
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Rizvi
authors.forename: Atiya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.lastname: Rehanuddin
authors.forename: Safia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Awan
authors.forename: Sikandar Azam
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mahar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014006:Tinea Capitis / Q000145:classification* / Q000453:epidemiology