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Tinea Capitis in the Paediatric Population in Milan, Italy: The Emergence of Trichophyton violaceum

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Abstract

Tinea capitis (TC) is the most common type of dermatophytosis in children. The epidemiology of TC depends on the geographical areas, and it changes over time. The aim of the study is to determine the incidence of TC and to identify the causative species in children observed at Dermatology Outpatient Department of the University of Milan, Italy, between January 2004 and December 2011. Four hundred and eighty-six children with suspected dermatomycosis were observed; TC was the most prevalent dermatomycoses with 86 cases. The most common isolated dermatophyte in scalp lesions was Trichophyton violaceum with 33 cases. The most recent epidemiological Italian studies still show zoophilic fungi as primary cause of TC. We are the first medical team in Italy to demonstrate a dominance of anthropophilic fungi, in particular T. violaceum.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Sciences, Dermatologic Unit, San Paolo Hospital, University of Milan, Via Antonio di Rudinì, 8, 20142, Milan, Italy

    Elisabetta Teodolinda Maria Mapelli, A. Cerri, C. Bombonato & S. Menni

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  1. Elisabetta Teodolinda Maria Mapelli
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  2. A. Cerri
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  3. C. Bombonato
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  4. S. Menni
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Correspondence to Elisabetta Teodolinda Maria Mapelli.

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Mapelli, E.T.M., Cerri, A., Bombonato, C. et al. Tinea Capitis in the Paediatric Population in Milan, Italy: The Emergence of Trichophyton violaceum . Mycopathologia 176, 243–246 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-013-9637-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-013-9637-0

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