Tinea capitis is a dermatophyte infection that occurs mainly in childhood; there 
are few reports, in Brazil, in adolescents and adults. The detection of 
asymptomatic carriers is of great importance in the disease control. From 
February 1998 to February 1999, a study was performed at the outpatient 
Dermatologic Unit of Instituto de Puericultura e Pediatria Martagão Gesteira 
(Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil) to verify the frequency of 
asymptomatic carriers and tinea capitis between 79 adolescents, adults and 
elderly who lived in the same household of 56 children (0-12 years) with tinea 
capitis. Of these, one female and one male adults (2.5%) were asymptomatic 
carriers and the cultures revealed Trichophyton tonsurans and Microsporum canis 
respectively. One female adolescent and two female adults (3.8%) had tinea 
capitis and all cultures revealed Trichophyton tonsurans. The study has shown 
that adolescents and adults who live in the same household of children with 
tinea capitis may be sick or asymptomatic carriers.