Tinea Corporis

- What is Tinea Corporis?

A ring-shaped rash on the skin, it is the most common kind of ringworm. It is a superficial fungal infection (dermatophytosis) which is also termed as tinea circinata or tinea glabrosa. It can be found on any area of skin on the body but usually appears on exposed regions, such as the face, hands, and arms.

- Who’s at risk?

Ringworm is commoner in children, people with other tinea infections, athletes involved in contact sports, people with immune deficiencies, and people in contact with animals such as cats, dogs, horses, and cattle.

Also individuals who are at risk include those who:

Sweat excessively
Live in humid, crowded conditions
Wear tight clothing with poor aeration
Take part in close contact sport such as rugby, soccer or wrestling
Have a weakened immune system (e.g. those who are infected with HIV), immuno-compromised individuals

- What are the signs and symptoms?

The most common locations for ringworm include the following:

Neck
Arms
Legs
Trunk (chest, abdomen, back)

Ringworm appears as itchy, red ring-shaped patches with a raised scaly border ranging from 1 to 10 cm. The central area may be clear of any redness. The border of the affected skin may contain blisters, bumps, or scabs.

- What is the treatment?

In order to confirm the diagnosis of ringworm, your physician might scrape some surface skin material (scales) onto a slide and examine it under a microscope. Antifungal creams or lotions containing any of the below:

Terbinafine
Clotrimazole
Miconazole
Econazole
Oxiconazole
Ciclopirox
Ketoconazole
Sulconazole
Naftifine
Butenafine

Apply the cream for at least 2 weeks until the areas are completely clear of lesions. Because ringworm is very contagious, avoid contact sports until lesions have been treated for a minimum of 48 hours. Do not share towels, hats, or clothing with others until the lesions are healed.

Make sure that any household pets are evaluated by a veterinarian to be certain that they do not have a dermatophyte infection.

Rarely, more extensive infections or those not improving with topical antifungal medications may require 3–4 weeks of treatment with oral antifungal pills, including:

Terbinafine
Itraconazole
Griseofulvin
Fluconazole
Ketoconazole

The infection should go away within 4–6 weeks after using effective treatment.

- What would be the approximate expenditure for treatment?

The cost of treatment varies depending upon the type of treatment followed. Your Dermatologist would be the best person to advise you regarding which treatment you should undergo.

A single consultation with Dr. Rinky Kapoor is chargeable at approximately INR 1000/-.

For more information on Dr. Rinky Kapoor’s work, click on: theestheticclinic.com/dr-rinky-kapoor.html