Ringworm (cont.)
What types of ringworm are there? What are the signs
and symptoms?
Among the types of ringworm, or tinea, are the following:
- Tinea barbae: ringworm of
the bearded area of the face and neck, with swelling and marked crusting,
often with itching, sometimes causing the hair to break off. In the days when
men went to the barber daily for a shave, tinea barbae was called barber's
itch.
- Tinea capitis: Ringworm of the scalp commonly affects
children, mostly in late childhood or adolescence. This condition
may spread in schools. Tinea capitis appears as scalp scaling that
is associated with bald spots (in contrast to seborrhea
or dandruff,
for instance, which do not cause hair loss).
- Tinea corporis: When fungus affects the skin of the body,
it often produces the round spots of classic ringworm. Sometimes,
these spots have an "active" outer
border as they slowly grow and advance. It is important to
distinguish this rash from other even more common
rashes, such as nummular eczema. This condition, and others, may appear similar to ringworm, but they are not due to a fungal infection and require different treatment.
- Tinea cruris: Tinea of the groin ("jock itch") tends to
have a reddish-brown color and to extend from the folds of the groin
down onto one or both thighs. Other conditions that can mimic tinea
cruris include yeast infections, psoriasis, and
intertrigo, a chafing rash which results from the skin rubbing against the
skin.
- Tinea faciei: ringworm on
the face except in the area of the beard. On the face, ringworm is rarely
ring-shaped. Characteristically, it causes red, scaly patches with indistinct
edges.
- Tinea manus: ringworm
involving the hands, particularly the palms and the spaces between the
fingers. It typically causes thickening (hyperkeratosis) of these areas, often
on only one hand. Tinea manus is a common companion of tinea pedis (ringworm
of the feet). It is also called tinea manuum.
- Tinea pedis: Athlete's
foot may cause scaling and inflammation in the toe webs, especially the one
between the fourth and fifth toes. Another common form of tinea pedis produces a
thickening or scaling of the skin on the heels and soles. This is sometimes
referred to as the "moccasin distribution." In still other cases, tinea causes
blisters between the toes or on the sole. Aside from athlete's foot, tinea pedis is known as tinea of the foot or, more loosely, fungal infection of the
feet. Tinea pedis is an extremely common skin disorder. It is the most common
and perhaps the most persistent of the fungal (tinea) infections. It is rare
before adolescence. It may occur in association with other fungal skin
infections such as tinea cruris (jock itch).
- Tinea unguium: Finally, fungus can make the fingernails
and, more often, the toenails yellow, thick, and crumbly. This is referred to as fungal nails or onychomycosis.
Next: How is ringworm diagnosed? »
- ketoconazole, Nizoral, Extina, Xolegel, Kuric - Learn about ketoconazole (Nizoral, Extina, Xolegel, Kuric), a drug used to treat a variety of fungal infections such as dandruff, jock itch, athlete's foot, and ringworm.
- Rash - Learn about rash causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. Common skin rashes include poison ivy, hives, shingles, eczema, contact dermatitis, ringworm, psoriasis and impetigo.
- clotrimazole, Lotrimin, Mycelex - Read about clotrimazole (Lotrimin, Mycelex) medication prescribed for vaginal yeast infections, thrush, jock itch, athlete's foot, and tinea versicolor. Side effects, drug interaction, and dosage information is included.
Latest Medical News
|
|
 |
From WebMD
Skin Problems and Treatments Resources
Featured Centers
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
|
Skin RSS