Sheilagh M. Maguiness, MD, FAAP: Managing Hair and Nail Disorders in Pediatric Patients

Though dermatological conditions such as tinea capitis can affect patients of any age, the implications of these conditions on pediatric populations are of particular concern, as they are often uniquely manifested and managed in younger patients.

In her session “Diagnosis and Management of Common Hair and Nail Disorders in Children” , Sheilagh M. Maguiness, MD, FAAP, Dermatology and Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, detailed both new and common strains of hair and nail disorders, the emotional and physical toll they present for young patients and families, and potential management strategies.

Details from her session, which was presented at the at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2021 Virtual Conference, were discussed in an interview with HCPLive.

Of the myriad of different hair and nail disorders, tinea capitis was a prominent area of discussion in the interview.

Maguiness spoke of the most common forms offungal infections in pediatric populations such as trichophyton tonsurans and microsporum canis, though recent years have brought about new variants of fungal infections not commonly seen in the United States.

“Recently, I think immigration patterns have really changed a little bit of where the dermatophyte species are coming from, and so we're seeing a lot more actually in our African immigrant community of new species of tinea,” Maguiness said “So, trichophyton violaceum and trichophyton sudanese are becoming a bit more common and prevalent and that that didn't used to be before, but now we see them quite frequently.”

With new and old strains dermatological conditions alike, Maguiness noted the need for a “partnerships” between parents and caregivers and pediatricians in order to obtain the best outcomes for affected children patients.

Additionally, she spoke of the importance raising awareness of these conditions in the medical community.

“I think with the hair and nail conditions that I'm going to be talking about, I just love to see, more awareness, and I'd love to have pediatricians learn a few clinical pearls about how to diagnose these conditions, which are sometimes challenging,” Maguiness said.

“One thing that I'll be talking about is pediatric psoriasis, and psoriasis can show up very differently in younger children. So, just giving (clinicians) some pearls on what to look for, and then just as ee talked about, partnering with them in the diagnosis and management of some of these more challenging conditions would be excellent.”

To hear more form Dr. Maguiness on diagnostic methods of hair and nail disorders in pediatric patients, watch the video above.