Figueroa J I, Hawranek T, Abraha A, Hay R J
St. John's Institute of Dermatology (UMDS), Guys' Hospital, London, England.
Int J Dermatol. 1997 Sep;36(9):661-6. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-4362.1997.00236.x.
Tinea capitis is a common dermatophyte infection which constitutes an important public health problem among children worldwide. The endemic nature of scalp ringworm in Africa is perpetuated mainly by the lack of knowledge about the prevalence and carrier status, and the absence of control measures.
Two hundred and nineteen schoolchildren from urban and rural communities of the Illubabor district, south-western Ethiopia, were examined, and scalp samples were taken. Children were classified according to clinical signs and mycologic findings.
Physical examination revealed that 29% of the children had clinical lesions compatible with tinea capitis. Dermatophytes were isolated from 33% of the children's scalp samples; of these, 16% had clinical lesions and 17% were identified as carriers. Trichophyton violaceum was responsible for 97% of infections.
Tinea capitis was the second most prevalent cutaneous finding in these children, with a higher prevalence in the urban community; the predictive value of the clinical diagnosis was low and a high proportion of children were identified as carriers in these communities. No relationship between household overcrowding and scalp infection was found.
头癣是一种常见的皮肤癣菌感染，在全球儿童中构成一个重要的公共卫生问题。非洲头癣的地方性流行主要因对其患病率和携带者状况缺乏了解以及缺乏控制措施而持续存在。
对来自埃塞俄比亚西南部伊鲁巴博尔地区城乡社区的219名学童进行了检查，并采集了头皮样本。根据临床体征和真菌学检查结果对儿童进行分类。
体格检查发现，29%的儿童有与头癣相符的临床病变。从33%的儿童头皮样本中分离出皮肤癣菌；其中，16%有临床病变，17%被确定为携带者。紫色毛癣菌导致了97%的感染。
头癣是这些儿童中第二常见的皮肤表现，在城市社区患病率更高；临床诊断的预测价值较低，在这些社区中高比例儿童被确定为携带者。未发现家庭拥挤与头皮感染之间存在关联。
