Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSelf-ChecksLabs and TestsDifferential DiagnosesFrequently Asked QuestionsNext in Ringworm GuideHow to Get Rid of Ringworm
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Self-Checks
Labs and Tests
Differential Diagnoses
Frequently Asked Questions
Next in Ringworm Guide
If necessary, testing can be performed to confirm the presence of the fungi (dermatophytes) that cause ringworm.
© Verywell, 2018
Self-Checks/At-Home Testing
If you have an itchy, raised, ring-shaped rash that slowly grows outward as it spreads, suspect ringworm.
Also, look for clues. Ringworm can be transmitted from infected animals (cats, dogs, or livestock) to people. Cats are especially susceptible.Patchy hair loss or areas of crusty skin are signs that your pet has ringworm. If you have contact with these animals, you may have contracted ringworm even if you don’t noticesymptomsyourself.
Often, though, you won’t know where you could have picked up ringworm.
Any time you have an unidentified rash, it’s a good idea to have a healthcare provider take a look at it. Other skin rashes can resemble ringworm, and it can sometimes be hard to tell the difference. Treating ringworm or any rash incorrectly can make the rash worse.
Your healthcare provider can usually diagnose ringworm with a simple visual inspection of the skin.
When ringworm appears on the body, legs, and arms, it creates the classic raised, red ring-shaped rash which makes diagnosis fairly simple. However, if ringworm appears on other areas of the body, diagnosis can become tricky—sometimes, ringworm might show up as bumpy, scaly, flaky patches that resemble other skin problems.
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KOH Test
If there’s any uncertainty, your healthcare provider will order aKOH test. This simple test, sometimes just called a skin scraping, can often be done in your healthcare provider’s office, though not all medical offices are equipped to do KOH testing.
For this test, a scalpel or the edge of a glass slide is used to scrape a small bit of infected skin. The scrapings will be collected onto a microscope slide or into a test tube.
Your healthcare provider only needs skin cells for the test; you won’t be cut. The scraping itself may be mildly uncomfortable but it’s not painful.
If suspected ringworm is infectingyour scalpor beard area, your healthcare provider might also take some hair to examine. For affected nails, the healthcare provider will take a small clipping of nail and a scraping from underneath the nail as well.
The samples are prepared with potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution, which breaks down cellular material to make the fungal organisms that cause ringworm more visible under a microscope. If dermatophytes are found, your healthcare provider knows conclusively that ringworm is the culprit.
If no fungus is found, something other than ringworm is causing your rash.
Fungal Culture
If the results of the KOH test are inconsclusive, meaning they don’t give an answer one way or another, your healthcare provider may do a fungal culture.A skin scraping is done as before, but this time it will be sent to a lab where it will be incubated. Any fungi present in the sample will grow.
The downside is that it can take several weeks to get results from this test. The upside is that with the results, you can know the specific strain of fungi that is causing your rash.
Some infections may be tenacious and tough to treat. If your treatment isn’t working, your healthcare provider may also do a culture to find out the strain of fungus that is causing your ringworm. Knowing this can help your healthcare provider find the most effective medicine for you.
Ringworm can be mistaken for other skin problems, especially when it develops on areas other than the arms, legs, and trunk.
Ringworm on the body can resemble:
Ringworm of the scalp or beard area can resemble:
How to Get Rid of Ringworm
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.Ringworm: A Serious but Readily Treatable Affliction.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ringworm Information for Healthcare Professionals.Ely JW, Rosenfeld S, Seabury Stone M.Diagnosis and management of tinea infections.Am Fam Physician; 90(10):702-10.Bosshard PP.Incubation of fungal cultures: how long is long enough?: Incubation of fungal cultures.Mycoses. 2011;54(5):e539-45. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0507.2010.01977.xAl Aboud DM, Gossman W.Woods light. In:StatPearls [Internet].
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.Ringworm: A Serious but Readily Treatable Affliction.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ringworm Information for Healthcare Professionals.Ely JW, Rosenfeld S, Seabury Stone M.Diagnosis and management of tinea infections.Am Fam Physician; 90(10):702-10.Bosshard PP.Incubation of fungal cultures: how long is long enough?: Incubation of fungal cultures.Mycoses. 2011;54(5):e539-45. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0507.2010.01977.xAl Aboud DM, Gossman W.Woods light. In:StatPearls [Internet].
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.Ringworm: A Serious but Readily Treatable Affliction.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ringworm Information for Healthcare Professionals.Ely JW, Rosenfeld S, Seabury Stone M.Diagnosis and management of tinea infections.Am Fam Physician; 90(10):702-10.Bosshard PP.Incubation of fungal cultures: how long is long enough?: Incubation of fungal cultures.Mycoses. 2011;54(5):e539-45. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0507.2010.01977.xAl Aboud DM, Gossman W.Woods light. In:StatPearls [Internet].
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.Ringworm: A Serious but Readily Treatable Affliction.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ringworm Information for Healthcare Professionals.
Ely JW, Rosenfeld S, Seabury Stone M.Diagnosis and management of tinea infections.Am Fam Physician; 90(10):702-10.
Bosshard PP.Incubation of fungal cultures: how long is long enough?: Incubation of fungal cultures.Mycoses. 2011;54(5):e539-45. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0507.2010.01977.x
Al Aboud DM, Gossman W.Woods light. In:StatPearls [Internet].
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