dermatologic disorders
Tinea Corporis (Body Ringworm)
Introduction
Tinea corporis is a dermatophyte infection of the face, trunk, and extremities. Diagnosis is by clinical appearance and by examination of skin scrapings on potassium hydroxide wet mount. Treatment involves topical or oral antifungals. Tinea corporis is a Overview of Dermatophytoses that causes pink-to-red annular (O-shaped) patches and plaques with raised scaly borders that expand peripherally and tend to clear centrally. Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation can make the centers appear less clear on dark skin. A rare variant form appears as nummular (circle- or round-shaped) scaling patches studded with small papules or pustules that have no central clearing. Common causes areTrichophyton mentagrophytes,T. rubrum, andMicrosporum canis. The border is raised and scaly and has visible tiny pustules. © Springer Science+Business Media Both lesions are due to tinea corporis. The lesion on the right shows typical peripheral scale and slight central lesion clearing. © Springer Science+Business Media © Springer Science+Business Media This photo shows a well-demarcated, scaly, erythematous plaque characteristic of tinea corporis. Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation makes the center appear less clear than on light skin. Image courtesy of Karen McKoy, MD. 