Clinical and laboratory diagnosis of kerion Celsi in children

Kerion Celsi is an acute inflammatory reaction that develops in response to the penetration of dermatophytes into hair follicles and is accompanied by a secondary bacterial infection and a reaction of the lymph nodes. The incidence of kerion in mycosis of this localization can vary from 15% to 57%. Despite the widespread distribution of dermatophytes in the pediatric population, studies in the field of etiology and diagnostics of kerion Celsi are limited and contradictory. The aim of this study is to analyze to analyze the clinical and laboratory features of kerion Celsi caused by Trichophyton tonsurans. The article describes a case of kerion Celsi caused by the anthropophilic fungus T. tonsurans. The patient received complex treatment in the conditions of the daily dermatovenereology hospital of the Moscow Scientific and Practical Center of Dermatovenereology and Cosmetology of Moscow Health Department. The development of kerion Celsi was caused by incorrect long-term use of topical glucocorticosteroids, and was also delayed due to incorrect diagnostic tactics in the outpatient setting. During the laboratory examination of the pathological material obtained from the patient, the growth of the T. tonsurans culture was not obtained. The etiological diagnosis was made based on the results of direct microscopy and PCR. Direct microscopy of the hair revealed the location of the spores as endothrix. After hospitalization in the pediatric dermatovenereology department, the patient quickly responded to treatment with oral antimycotics and antibiotics. Kerion Celsi is a difficult-to-treat form of scalp mycosis that negatively affects the quality of life of the child and family. The international and domestic experience in diagnosing kerion Celsi demonstrated in the article indicates the need to refer children with rashes on the scalp to a dermatovenereologist for timely diagnosis of mycosis and prevention of serious complications.

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