A closer look at the scalp: could trichoscopy predict fungal cure?
NCT ID NCT07043582
First seen Jul 28, 2026 · Last updated Jul 29, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This observational study in children and adolescents with tinea capitis (a scalp fungal infection) investigates whether changes seen under a trichoscope—a special microscope for hair and scalp—can predict when the infection is cured. Participants receive the antifungal drug terbinafine for 4 weeks and are monitored every 4 weeks with trichoscopy and lab tests. The goal is to see if certain trichoscopic signs, like black dots or corkscrew hairs, disappear at the same time as the fungus clears, and whether initial severity predicts longer treatment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- terbinafine
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help doctors predict treatment outcomes earlier using a simple scalp microscope, potentially reducing the need for repeated lab tests.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small observational study, not a controlled trial, so the findings may not apply to all patients or settings. The predictive value of trichoscopic signs may vary by fungus type.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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46 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jun 2025
- Finished
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Feb 2026
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
The study population consists of pediatric patients aged 0 to 18 years with clinically and dermoscopically suspected tinea capitis, confirmed by potassium hydroxide (KOH) smear and/or fungal culture. Participants are recruited from dermatology outpatient clinics and must be eligible for systemic antifungal treatment. The study focuses on this age group as tinea capitis primarily affects children and adolescents.
- Ages
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Children (under 18), adults (18 to 64) and older adults (65 and over)
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age between 0 and 18 years Clinical and trichoscopic findings compatible with tinea capitis Laboratory confirmation of tinea capitis (positive potassium hydroxide \[KOH\] smear and/or fungal culture) Eligible for systemic antifungal treatment with terbinafine Written informed consent obtained from a parent or legal guardian Exclusion Criteria: * Age over 18 years Negative KOH smear and negative culture Current use of immunosuppressive therapy or presence of severe systemic illness (e.g., malignancy, HIV, organ transplant) Contraindication to terbinafine treatment Poor compliance or unwillingness to attend follow-up visits Coexisting dermatologic conditions in the affected scalp area (e.g., seborrheic dermatitis, alopecia areata, lichen planus)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Medeniyet University
Istanbul, Kadıköy, 34728, Turkey (Türkiye)
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