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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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