What is the first-line oral treatment for tinea capitis?

The first-line oral treatment for tinea capitis is oral griseofulvin. This medication has been the standard of care for many years due to its effectiveness against dermatophyte infections of the scalp, which is what tinea capitis is. Griseofulvin works by inhibiting fungal cell mitosis, leading to the disruption of cell division, and it is particularly effective in the keratin-rich tissues like hair and nails, where dermatophytes thrive.

While other options such as oral terbinafine, fluconazole, and ketoconazole can also be used for fungal infections, they are typically not the first choice for treating tinea capitis. Terbinafine has shown promise in some studies but is not universally adopted as the first-line treatment. Fluconazole and ketoconazole are more commonly indicated for other types of fungal infections but have not established the same precedence in the treatment of tinea capitis compared to griseofulvin. Thus, oral griseofulvin remains the preferred and most widely endorsed first-line treatment for this condition.