Scalp Dermatophyte Carriage in Pregnant Pre and

Authors: Levent Toksöz Ahmet Barış Güzel Macit Ilkit Tuba Akar Mehmet Ali Saraçlı

Publish Date: 2010/11/10

Volume: 171, Issue: 5, Pages: 339-344

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Abstract

Tinea capitis is a dermatophyte infection of the scalp that is most often seen in prepubescent children In this investigation we examined the prevalence of tinea capitis and symptomfree colonization of the scalp with dermatophytes in 786 pre and postmenopausal women aged 12–84 years Scalp samples were collected from all participants by cytobrush or hairbrush and cultures were then grown from these samples on Sabouraud glucose agar No participant was diagnosed with tinea capitis however one 43yearold patient 01 was positive for a “scalp carriage” related to anthropophilic Trichophyton rubrum as detected using a hairbrush The internal transcribed spacer ITS regions of the isolate were sequenced and the assembled DNA sequences were examined using the basic BLAST nucleotide–nucleotide software of the National Center for Biotechnology Information Web database This patient was followed up without any antimycotic treatment and after 4 weeks mycological clearance was documented In addition the contacts and environment at home were screened where all fungal cultures were sterile To the best of our knowledge this study is the first report of a “scalp carriage” related to a cosmopolitan fungus T rubrumThis study was supported by the Research Fund of Cukurova University Project No TF2010BAP14 We gratefully acknowledge Prof Dr G Sybren de Hoog’s Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures Utrecht The Netherlands kind cooperation and confirmation of the isolate examined in this study

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