Tinea Corporis - Treatment, Picture and Symptoms of Tinea Corporis

Tinea Corporis is very common fungus affection. It is caused by trichophyton in the majority of cases; infrequently, microsporon and epidermophyton have been known to cause it. The latter two produce a milder reaction.

Symptoms of Tinea Corporis

They are typical. Marked itching is a characteristic symptom.

There may be one or more lesions which are more or less circular, sharply demarcated from the surrounding skin; their sizes vary, say, from that of a one rupee coin to the palm of the hand (or bigger). Confluent patches produce figurate areas.

The disease is usually chronic, and the course extends over months to years. Eczematization and lichenification may become the complicating features of chronic cases. Ringworm infection can almost always be confirmed by scraping the active periphery of the lesion, by the demonstration of mycelia under the microscope and by culture. The sources of infection are infected human beings or animals, particularly cattle. Infection is conveyed by direct contact, less frequently, by fomites like clothing.

Prognosis of Tinea Corporis

It has improved and tinea has become curable, if the source of infection is eliminated completely, and the right treatment is given persistently. Half-hearted treatment is demoralizing and results in chronicity. The superficial varieties of this disease do not leave any atrophy or scarring.

Treatment of Tinea Corporis

It consists in applying fungicidal agents, removing the sources of infection in infected nails, fomites, animals etc and (3) treating complications like eczema and lichenification along the usual lines. When inflammation is marked, silver nitrate 1% in distilled water is used. Energetic treatment is risky at this stage. 1t may bring about acute eczematization and a troublesome ide eruption.

The fungicides commonly advised are Tinactin (P), econazole, miconazole.