In this Article

• What does the term "ringworm" mean?
• What causes ringworm?
• What are the sources of skin fungi?
• What types of ringworm are there? What are the symptoms?
• How is ringworm diagnosed?
• How is ringworm treated?
• How can ringworm be prevented?
• Conclusion: Get the diagnosis of ringworm right!
• Pictures of Ringworm - Slideshow
• Ringworm Glossary
• Ringworm Index

What types of ringworm are there? What are the symptoms?

Among the types of ringworm, or tinea, are the following:

1. Tinea barbae: Ringworm of the bearded area of the face and neck, with swellings 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.

2. 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).

3. 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 fungal and require different treatment.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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).

8. Tinea unguium: Finally, fungus can make the fingernails and, more often, the toenails yellow, thick, and crumbly. They are called fungal nails or onychomycosis.

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