Scalp Fungus Infections in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia
May 1989
in “
Annals of Saudi Medicine
”
TLDR Tinea capitis is common in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia and can be effectively treated.
Between April 1984 and March 1987, 550 prepubescent children in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia were examined for suspected tinea capitis, with 92.2% confirmed by microscopy and 87.2% by culture. The most common causative agent was Microsporum canis, responsible for 56.6% of the 447 isolates, followed by Trichophyton violaceum (30.6%), M. audouinii (8.5%), T. mentagrophytes (4.0%), and M. ferrugineum (0.2%). Treatment with oral griseofulvin and topical imidazole agents was effective in all cases, with additional oral penicillin required for kerion cases. The study highlighted regional differences in the prevalence of tinea capitis pathogens compared to other countries.
