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Tinea capitis in Botswana
Authors Thakur R
Received 7 November 2012
Accepted for publication 14 December 2012
Published 30 January 2013 Volume 2013:6 Pages 37—41
DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/CCID.S40053
Checked for plagiarism Yes
Review by Single anonymous peer review
Peer reviewer comments 2
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.
Keywords: Trichophyton violaceum, Trichophyton violaceum white variant, Trichophyton tonsurans, dermatophyte
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