Treatment of tinea capitis: beyond griseofulvin

Tinea capitis is a common pediatric scalp infection caused by dermatophytes . Topical therapy alone is ineffective, so oral griseofulvin has traditiona lly been the standard treatment. The new antimycotic agents itraconazole, t erbinafine, and fluconazole represent effective treatment alternatives that have fewer problems with tolerability and adverse effects, More comparativ e studies are needed to determine the optimal treatment with these agents a nd adjuvant therapies such as antifungal shampoos, topical antimycotic agen ts, and corticosteroids.