Choa wa Ngozi ya Kichwa

Scalp ringworm is a fungal infection that causes a scaly rash or patch of hair loss on the scalp.

• Scalp ringworm is most common in children

• It spreads easily from person to person

• It can cause a scalp rash, bald spots, and rarely a painful swelling that leaks pus

• Treatment includes antifungal medicine taken by mouth and used in a scalp cream and special shampoo

• It can take a long time to get rid of scalp ringworm

Magamba na Upotevu wa Nywele (kwenye Choa wa Ngozi ya Kichwa)

Picha

This photo shows scale, which is a characteristic feature of many dermatophyte (fungal) infections, including scalp ringworm (tinea capitis). In this photo, scale is especially noticeable at the nape of the neck. This photo also shows a patch of hair loss (alopecia) caused by tinea capitis.

Image provided by Thomas Habif, MD.

Symptoms include:

• A dry, scaly rash on your head that may itch

• A patch of hair loss (alopecia)

• Sometimes, flaking of your scalp that looks like dandruff

• Sometimes, a painful swollen patch on the scalp that may blister or ooze pus (kerion)

Doctors can often tell it's scalp ringworm by looking at it. They'll sometimes pluck a hair from your head and take a small scraping of skin to look at under a microscope. They may look at your scalp with an ultraviolet (UV) light, because ringworm glows under UV light and other rashes don't.

Doctors treat scalp ringworm in children with:

• Antifungal medicine by mouth

• Antifungal cream applied to the child's scalp until the infection is gone

• Prescription-strength selenium sulfide shampoo to wash the child's hair, at least twice a week

• For a kerion, steroids (sometimes also called glucocorticoids or corticosteroids) by mouth

Children may attend school during treatment.

Doctors treat scalp ringworm in adults with:

• Antifungal medicine by mouth