Increasing Tinea Capitis Prevalence in Stockholm Reflects Immigration

The study aimed to describe the mycological and clinical data of children diagnosed with tinea capitis at the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm during two periods, 1989-1991 and 1999-2001. The number of diagnosed cases increased from 5 to 92, with 86% of the latter group being of foreign extraction, predominantly African. Trichophyton violaceum was the most prevalent pathogen, affecting 68% of the children. Common symptoms included scalp scaling (80%), itching (54%), and patches of alopecia (52%). Treatment involved oral antimycotics terbinafine or griseofulvin. The increase in tinea capitis cases correlated with increased immigration from Africa, and family screening was recommended to prevent transmission. Untreated cases could lead to permanent alopecia and further spread of the infection.