ABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: We report on a 5-year-old girl with a severe kerion celsi, caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes, probably acquired from a pet guinea pig. The lesions had started as small irritating squamous lesions that had been accurately diagnosed as skin infection, but had only been treated with local antifungal agents. The lesions progressed and developed into a kerion celsi that had to be treated with long-term systemic griseofulvin. Nevertheless, reinfection occurred and treatment had to be restarted. The girl is left with areas of alopecia, as a result of which she is required to wear a wig. CONCLUSION: Tinea capitis is a common skin infection that should be considered in any type of scalp lesion. It requires systemic treatment, and inappropriate and delayed treatment can result in the development of kerion celsi, with sometimes devastating consequences.
