skin disorders
Body Ringworm (Tinea Corporis)
Introduction
Body ringworm is a dermatophyte (fungal) infection of the face, trunk, arms, and legs. Symptoms of tinea corporis include pink-to-red, round patches on the skin that sometimes itch. Doctors examine the affected area and sometimes view a skin scraping under a microscope to make the diagnosis. Treatment includes antifungal medications applied directly to the affected areas or sometimes taken by mouth. (See also Overview of Fungal Skin Infections .) Tinea corporis is a type of Overview of Dermatophytoses (Ringworm, Tinea) . Tinea corporis is usually caused by the fungus Tinea corporis can develop anywhere on the skin and can spread rapidly to other parts of the body or to other people with whom there is close bodily contact. The infection generally causes pink-to-red, round patches with raised scaly borders that tend to be clear in the center. Sometimes the rash is itchy. This photo shows a scaly, red patch characteristic of tinea corporis. The center appears less clear than on light skin because the infection has caused inflammation. Image courtesy of Karen McKoy, MD. The center of this patch is dark (called central hyperpigmentation) because the infection has caused inflammation in it. © Springer Science+Business Media This photo shows a pink-to-red, round patch of body ringworm. The patch has raised borders, some scaling, and some clearing of the center at the bottom of the patch. Image provided by Thomas Habif, MD. Both patches seen in this photo are caused by tinea corporis. A scaly border can be seen in the patch on the right. © Springer Science+Business Media The round patch of body ringworm seen in this photo has a raised border and a mostly clear center. © Springer Science+Business Media 