Tinea capitis in Basrah, Iraq

Tinea capitis is the most common type of dermatophytosis constituting 35.2% (173/491) of all cases of dermatophytosis seen at two out-patients dermatological clinics of the Basrah General Hospital and at two private dermatological clinics between October 1994 and December 1995. Males were more commonly affected than females represented by 60 and 40%, respectively. Out of 173 mycologically positive cases, 143 specimens were culture-positive, represented by five dermatophyte species; Trichophyton violaceum was the most frequent causative agent (38.5%), followed by Trichophyton verrucosum (28.7%), Microsporum canis (26.5%), Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. mentagrophytes (5.6%) and Microsporum gypseum (0.7%). Six atypical cases appeared as cases of seborrheic dermatitis or dandruff and were proved to be atypical cases of tinea capitis caused by T. violaceum.