Ringworm Of The Body (Tinea Corporis)
Description
A skin infection caused by a fungus. Ringworm can affect skin on the body (tinea corporis), scalp (tinea capitis), groin area (tinea cruris, also called jock itch), or feet (tinea pedis, also called athlete's foot). There can be several patches of ringworm on the skin at once. The name comes from the characteristic rash of redness surrounding an area of normal appearing skin and has nothing to do with a worm being under the skin. The infection can be acquired through contact with infected humans, infected animals, or from contact with objects containing the fungus such as bedding, clothes, or hair brushes.
Symptoms
Itchy, red, raised, scaly patches.These patches can have sharply-defined edges with redness around the edges and normal appearing skin in the center forming the "ring". The affected skin can also be a round flat patch.
Tests
A history and physical exam will be performed. The diagnosis can often be made by the charatersitic appearance of the rash. The provider may use a microscope to look at a scraping from the skin. Rarely, other testing may need to be done in the laboratory.
Treatment
Most cases can be treated with topical medications such as: miconazole (Monistat), clotrimazole (Mycelex), ketoconazole (Nizoral), or terbinafine (Lamisil). If there are multiple affected area or the patch is large then oral medication will be used consisting of terbinafine (Lamisil) or itraconazole (Sporanox). It is important to practice preventive measures to avoid re-infection such as: good hygeine, washing of hands after handling dirt or animals, and avoiding contact with infected people.
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