Tinea capitis in Botswana

ea capitis in Botswana Original Research (562) Total Article Views Authors: Thakur R Published Date January 2013 Volume 2013:6 Pages 37 - 41 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/CCID.S40053 Received: 07 November 2012 Accepted: 14 December 2012 Published: 30 January 2013 Rameshwari Thakur Department of Microbiology, Muzaffarnagar Medical College, Muzaffarnagar, India Background: Tinea capitis (TC) is a common dermatophyte infection of the scalp that can also involve the eyebrows and eyelashes. Aim: This study aimed to find the causative fungus responsible for TC in Botswana and determine its association with the clinical types of TC. Methods: Samples for potassium hydroxide 10% mounts and fungal cultures were collected in a microbiology laboratory at the National Health Laboratory, Gaborone, Botswana. Dermasel agar and Sabouraud dextrose agar were inoculated with the samples. Lactophenol cotton blue mounts were prepared from the culture-positive samples to study the morphological characteristics. Results: Trichophyton violaceum was found to be the predominant causative organism of TC. Trichophyton tonsurans was isolated from one patient. Both are anthropophilic species. Conclusion: TC was found to be most common in those aged 1–15 years (81%). Of 17 patients in this age group, 16 were younger than 10 years old and one was 14 years old. T. violaceum was the most common dermatophyte species isolated.