Brief Summary (Plain Language Version)
The goal of this observational study is to learn how well changes seen under a special microscope called a trichoscope (used to look at hair and scalp) match the success of treatment in children and adolescents with a scalp fungal infection called tinea capitis. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Do changes in trichoscopic findings show when the fungal infection is cured?
Does having more severe trichoscopic findings at the start mean that treatment will take longer or be less successful?
Do different fungus types respond differently to the same treatment?
Participants will:
Be between the ages of 0 and 18 with confirmed tinea capitis based on lab tests (microscopy and/or culture)
Receive an oral antifungal medicine called terbinafine for 4 weeks (dosing based on weight)
Attend regular checkups every 4 weeks until both scalp appearance and lab tests show the infection is gone
At each visit, participants will:
Have their scalp examined using a trichoscope
Provide scalp samples for fungal testing
Be assessed for symptoms like itching, redness, and scaling
The study will also look at how fast different signs on the scalp go away, and which of these signs are best at predicting whether the fungus is still present.
Age between 0 and 18 years
Age over 18 years