Tinea capitis treated with homoeopathic medicine Pulsatilla nigricans: A case report

Abstract

Introduction: Tinea infection is a common complaint encountered in day-to-day practice with increasing incidence, especially in countries such as India over the past decade. Tinea capitis is predominantly a disease of prepubertal children characterised by lesions of variable morphology on the scalp associated with itching, erythema, signs of inflammation and hair loss. Prompt recognition and treatment are necessary to prevent its spread due to its contagious nature, associated hair loss and the resultant psychological impact on social life. Individualised homoeopathic treatment has a significant scope in treating and combating such conditions cost-effectively through the totality of symptoms. Case Summary: A 12-year-old girl presented at an outpatient clinic with erythematous and circular lesions with itching, burning pain and hair fall. Pulsatilla nigricans 200 was prescribed initially and later Pulsatilla 1M was prescribed as per the homoeopathic principles. The case was followed up fortnightly for 6 months. The patient was successfully treated with marked improvement in signs and symptoms (especially during the rainy season, which is the usual time for aggravation of tinea infections) within 6 months with no aggravation and adverse events. The Modified Naranjo Criteria Score was used to establish the causal attribution to the prescribed medicine, with a total score of 9. This case report suggests that individualised homoeopathic medicines are useful in the treatment of tinea capitis.