PREVALENCE OF UNDETECTED TINEA-CAPITIS IN A SCHOOL SURVEY IN SPAIN

From October 1994 to November 1995, a prospective study aiming to dete ct dermatophytes on the scalp was undertaken in 5000 unselected school children aged between 3 and 16 years (mean age 8.34 years, SD +/- 3.8 3). Thirty-two (0.64%) had dermatophytes in the scalp, 22 (0.44%) had tinea capitis and 10 were asymptomatic scalp carriers. It is important to point out that 33% of the patients with tinea capitis and 60% of t he asymptomatic scalp carriers also had ringworm in other body sites. There was a significantly higher proportion of cases of tinea capitis (P<0.001) (particularly due to Trichophyton tonsurans, P<0.001) and of cases of asymptomatic scalp carriers (P<0.05) (particularly due to Tr ichophyton tonsurans, P<0.001) in the immigrant population of African origin. In all the child index cases with positive scalp cultures (tin ea capitis and carriers), the household members were studied clinicall y and mycologically. One child had a body ringworm caused by Microspor um canis. Twelve adults had positive cultures with dermatophytosis (on e tinea capitis and eleven body ring-worm). Three adult patients were also carriers of dermatophytes in other body sites. Our data indicate a change in the causative agents of tinea capitis seen in Madrid over a 12-month period, with cases due to antropophilic species (T. tonsura ns, T. soudanense, M. audouinii and T. violaceum) occurring in the imm igrant population from Africa; as a consequence, there is an emergence of T. tonsurans in the Spanish population.