Background Tinea capitis is an infectious fungal disease of the scalp and surrounding hair follicles, mostly caused by dermatophytes. This study aimed to define the etiologic agents, clinical types, and treatment of tinea capitis in pediatric patients in a tertiary care center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods This retrospective study included all pediatric patients diagnosed with tinea capitis between January 2017 and July 2025 at King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Demographic characteristics, contact history, clinical presentation, fungal culture results, and treatment modalities were collected from electronic medical records and analyzed descriptively. Results In total, 121 patients were included in this study. The male sex was predominant (72.7%). Patients aged between 0 and 5 years were more commonly infected than the other age groups (53.7%). Microsporum canis was the most frequently isolated organism among positive fungal cultures (86.3%). Erythematous scaly alopecic patches were more common than other types (59.5%). Griseofulvin was the most commonly prescribed systemic oral antifungal agent (60.3%). Conclusion In this pediatric study in Riyadh, M. canis was the most common etiological agent. Most of our patients presented with erythematous scaly alopecic patches, and griseofulvin was the most commonly prescribed systemic treatment. Early detection and intervention are important for the proper management of tinea capitis.
Alghamdi et al. (Thu,) studied this question.