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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffYour doctor will determine if you have ringworm or another skin disorder, such as psoriasis or atopic dermatitis. He or she asks you about possible exposure to contaminated areas or contact with people or animals with ringworm.
Your doctor may take skin scrapings or samples from the infected area and look at them under a microscope. If a sample shows fungus, treatment may include an antifungal medication. If the test is negative but your doctor still suspects that you have ringworm, a sample may be sent to the laboratory for testing. This test is known as a culture. Your doctor may also order a culture if your condition doesn't respond to treatment.
- Goldstein AO, et al. Dermatophyte (tinea) infections. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 2, 2008.
- Habif, TP. Superficial fungal infections. In: Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Inc.; 2004. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/104355536-2/742469442/1195/81.html?printing=true. Accessed Sept. 2, 2008.
- Ringworm and animals. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/diseases/ringworm.htm. Accessed Sept. 2, 2008.
- Andrews MD, et al. Common tinea infections in children. American Family Physician. 2008;77(10):1415-1420.
- Drugs@FDA. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/drugsatfda/index.cfm. Accessed Sept. 3, 2008.
- Gupta AK, et al. Tinea corporis, tinea cruris, tinea nigra, and piedra. Dermatologic Clinics. 2003;21(3):395-400.
