Black Dot Tinea Capitis: Magnified

Abstract

Tinea capitis is one of the most prevalent infections in young children. Non-inflammatory, black dot tinea capitis may be difficult to distinguish between other hair disorders in children such as seborrheic dermatitis, alopecia areata, trichotillomania, or Langerhan histiocytosis. This case highlights the salient trichoscopic features of non-inflammatory black dot tinea capitis. Trichoscopy is a fast, noninvasive technique that helps distinguish this common diagnosis and spares the need for scalp biopsies in children. Under magnification, the presence of comma hairs is specific to tinea capitis in all skin types whereas corkscrew hairs have been reported specifically in African American children. Awareness and recognition of this type of hair would exclude the most common differential diagnoses of patchy alopecia in this age and spare the need for biopsy in young children.