TINEA-CAPITIS IN SOUTH WALES - OBSERVATIONS IN CHANGE OF CAUSATIVE FUNGI

We report an observed change in the causative organisms in 45 consecut ive cases of tinea capitis seen in the Cardiff area over the last 9 ye ars. Direct microscopy using potassium hydroxide was positive in all b ut one case, but this was subsequently positive on culture. This retro spective analysis shows that more cases are being seen in our departme nt, and that a higher proportion of cases are due to Trichophyton viol aceum whereas previously we would have expected the majority of cases to be due to Microsporum canis. We believe that the change in causativ e organism that we have identified has important practical and diagnos tic implications. Endothrix fungi such as T. violaceum do not fluoresc e under Wood's lamp unlike ectothrix fungi such as M. canis, and there fore failure to perform adequate mycological examination of specimens could result in missed diagnoses. We are not aware of this change havi ng been reported from other UK centres. The finding indicates a need f or further prospective epidemiological studies to confirm this apparen t trend.