athlete's foot: Definition from Answers.com

Definition

Athlete's foot is a common fungus infection in which the skin of the feet, especially on the sole and toes, becomes itchy and sore, cracking and peeling away. Athlete's foot, also known as tinea pedis, can be difficult to clear up completely.

Athlete's foot received its common name because the infection is often found among athletes. This is because the fungi flourish best in the around swimming pools, showers, and locker rooms.

Description

Athlete's foot is very common, so common that most people will have at least one episode with this fungal infection at least once in their lives. It is found more often in adult males. In fact, symptoms that appears to be athlete's foot in young children are probably caused by some other skin condition.

Causes & Symptoms

Athlete's foot is caused by a fungal infection that especially affects the skin between the toes. The fungi that cause athlete's foot include Trichophyton rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, and Epidermophyton floccosum. These fungi live exclusively on dead body tissue, such as hair, the outer layer of skin, and the nails. The fungus grows best in moist, damp, dark places with poor ventilation. The problem is rare in children and those who customarily go barefoot.

Most people carry fungus on their skin. However, it will only flourish to the point of causing athlete's foot if conditions are right. The fungi multiply on the skin when it is irritated, weakened, or continuously moist. Sweaty feet, tight shoes, synthetic socks that do not absorb moisture well, a warm climate, and not drying the feet well after swimming or bathing, all contribute to the overgrowth of the fungus. Symptoms include itchy, sore skin on the toes, with scaling, inflammation, and blisters. Blisters that break, exposing raw patches of tissue, can cause pain and swelling. The infected feet also may have an unpleasant smell. As the infection spreads, itching and burning may worsen. In severe cases, the skin cracks and seeps fluid. Sometimes a secondary bacterial infection is also present.

If it is not treated, athlete's foot can spread to the soles of the feet and toenails. Stubborn toenail infections, called tinea unguium, may appear at the same time, with crumbling, scaling, and thickened nails, and nail loss. The infection can spread further if patients scratch and then touch themselves elsewhere (especially in the groin or under the arms). It is also possible to spread the infection to other parts of the body via contaminated bed sheets, towels, or clothing. Athlete's foot is more severe and more common in people taking antibiotics, corticosteroids, birth control pills, drugs to suppress immune function, and in people with obesity, AIDS, and diabetes mellitus.

Diagnosis

A dermatologist can diagnose the condition by physical examination and by examining a preparation of skin scrapings under a microscope. Not all foot rashes are athlete's foot, which is why a physician should diagnose the condition before any remedies are used. In order to properly diagnose the infection, the physician may do a fungal culture. Using nonprescription products on a rash that is not athlete's foot could worsen the rash, therefore, proper diagnosis is important.

Treatment

The infected foot should be kept well ventilated. A foot bath containing cinnamon has been shown to slow down the growth of certain molds and fungi, and is said to be very effective in clearing up athlete's foot. Eight to ten broken cinnamon sticks are boiled in four cups of water, simmered for five minutes, and then steeped for 45 minutes. The mixture can be then placed in a basin and used daily to soak the feet.

Herbal remedies used externally to treat athlete's foot include goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), tea tree oil (Melaleuca spp.), myrrh (Commiphora molmol), garlic (Allium sativa), oregano oil (though its smell is quite pungent), and calendula. The affected area should be swabbed with an herbal mixture twice daily or the feet should be soaked in a herbal footbath. Pau d'arco, also called taheebo or lapacho, can be used for athlete's foot as well. The tea bags can be soaked in water for about 10 minutes and then placed on the affected areas, or by making a tincture and directly rubbing the tea onto the toes.

Aromatherapy may be helpful. Several drops of the essential oils of tea tree, peppermint (Mentha piperita), or chamomile (Matricaria recutita), can be added to the bath water. Chamomile may be applied directly to the toes.

Allopathic Treatment

Simple cases of athlete's foot usually respond to antifungal creams or sprays, such as tolnaftate (Aftate or Tinactin), clotrimazole, miconazole nitrate (Micatin products), or Whitfield's tincture made of salicylic acid and benzoic acid. Athlete's foot may be resistant to topical medication and should not be ignored. If the infection is resistant, the doctor may prescribe an oral antifungal drug such as ketoconozole or griseofulvin. Untreated athlete's foot may lead to a secondary bacterial infection in the skin cracks.

Expected Results

Athlete's foot usually responds well to treatment, but it is important to complete the recommmended treatment, even if the skin appears to be free of fungus; otherwise, the infection could return. Tinea unguium may accompany athlete's foot. It is typically very hard to treat effectively.

Prevention

A healthy diet should be maintained. Foods with a high sugar content should be avoided, including undiluted fruit juice, honey, and maple syrup.

Good personal hygiene and a few simple precautions can help prevent athlete's foot. These include:

The feet should be washed daily; care should be taken to avoid contact with other parts of the body.
The feet should be kept dry, especially between toes.
Tight shoes and shoes made of synthetic material should not be worn.
The feet need to be kept well ventilated, especially in the summer; bare feet and sandals are recommended.
Absorbent polypropylene or white cotton socks are recommended; they should be and changed often.
Bathing shoes should be worn in public bathing or showering areas.
A good quality foot powder should be used to keep the feet dry.
If anyone in the family has athlete's foot, towels, floors, and shower stalls should be washed with hot water and disinfectant after use.

Resources

Books

Donahue, Peggy Jo. Relief from Chronic Skin Problems. New York: Dell Publishing, 1992.

Orkin, Milton, Howard Maibach, and Mark Dahl. Dermatology. Connecticut: McGraw–Hill Professional Publishing, 1991.

Stoffman, Phyllis. The Family Guide to Preventing and Treating 100 Infectious Illnesses. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1995.

Thompson, June, et al. Mosby's Clinical Nursing. St. Louis: Mosby, 1998.

Organizations

American Podiatric Medical Association. 9312 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814.

[Article by: Patience Paradox]

"Hong Kong foot" redirects here. For unit of length, see Shaku (unit of measurement).

This article is about a medical condition. For the American retail shoe store, see The Athlete's Foot.

Athlete's foot or tinea pedis
Classification and external resources
Pale, flaky & split skin of athlete's foot in a toe web space
ICD-10	B 35.3
ICD-9	110.4
DiseasesDB	13122
MedlinePlus	000875
eMedicine	derm/470
MeSH	D014008

Athlete's foot (tinea pedis) is a fungal infection of the skin that causes scaling, flaking, and itch of affected areas. It is typically transmitted in moist areas where people walk barefoot, such as showers or bathhouses. Although the condition typically affects the feet, it can spread to other areas of the body, including the groin. Athlete's foot can be prevented by good hygiene, and is treated by a number of pharmaceutical and other treatments.

1 Symptoms
2 Diagnosis
3 Transmission
4 Prevention
- 4.1 Prevention measures in the home
5 Treatments
- 5.1 Conventional treatments
  - 5.1.1 Topical medications
  - 5.1.2 Oral medications
- 5.2 Alternative treatments
6 Etymology
7 See also
8 Footnotes
9 External links

Symptoms

Athlete's foot causes scaling, flaking, and itching of the affected skin. Blisters and cracked skin may also occur, leading to exposed raw tissue, pain, swelling, and inflammation. Secondary bacterial infection can accompany the fungal infection, sometimes requiring a course of oral antibiotics.^[1]^[2]

The infection can be spread to other areas of the body, such as the groin, and usually is called by a different name once it spreads, such as tinea corporis on the body or limbs and tinea cruris (jock itch or dhobi itch) for an infection of the groin. Tinea pedis most often manifests between the toes, with the space between the fourth and fifth digits most commonly afflicted.^[3]^[4]^[5]

Diagnosis

Diagnosis can be performed by a general practitioner, and by specialists such as a dermatologist or podiatrist.

Athlete's foot can usually be diagnosed by visual inspection of the skin, but where the diagnosis is in doubt direct microscopy of a potassium hydroxide preparation (known as a KOH test) may help rule out other possible causes, such as eczema or psoriasis.^[6] A KOH preparation is performed on skin scrapings from the affected area. The KOH preparation has an excellent positive predictive value, but occasionally false negative results may be obtained, especially if treatment with an anti-fungal medication has already begun.^[3]

If the above diagnoses are inconclusive or if a treatment regimen has already been started, a biopsy of the affected skin (i.e. a sample of the living skin tissue) can be taken for histological examination.

A Wood's lamp, although useful in diagnosing fungal infections of the hair (Tinea capitis), is not usually helpful in diagnosing tinea pedis since the common dermatophytes that cause this disease do not fluoresce under ultraviolet light.^[3] However, it can be useful for determining if the disease is due to a non-fungal afflictor.^{[citation needed]}

Transmission

From person to person

Athlete's foot is caused by a parasitic fungus and is a communicable disease.^[7] It is typically transmitted in moist environments where people walk barefoot, such as showers, bath houses, and locker rooms.^[7]^[8]^[9] It can also be transmitted by sharing footwear with an infected person, or less commonly, by sharing towels with an infected person.

To other parts of the body

The various parasitic fungi that cause athlete's foot can also cause skin infections on other areas of the body, most often under toenails (Onychomycosis) or on the groin (tinea cruris).

Prevention

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The practices given in this section do not only help prevent spread of the fungus, they can also help greatly in managing and curing athlete's foot in an individual by reducing or eliminating re-exposure to the fungus in one's home environment.

The fungi that cause athlete's foot can live on shower floors, wet towels, and footwear. Athlete's foot is caused by a fungus and can spread from person to person from shared contact with showers, towels, etc. Hygiene therefore plays an important role in managing an athlete's foot infection. Since fungi thrive in moist environments, it is very important to keep feet and footwear as dry as possible.

Prevention measures in the home

The fungi that cause athlete's foot live on moist surfaces and can be transmitted from an infected person to members of the same household through secondary contact.^[10] By controlling the fungus growth in the household, transmission of the infection can be prevented.

Bathroom hygiene

Spray tub and bathroom floor with disinfectant after each use to help prevent reinfection and infection of other household members.

Frequent laundering

Wash sheets, towels, socks, underwear, and bedclothes in hot water (at 60 °C / 140 °F) to kill the fungus.
Change towels and bed sheets at least once per week.

Avoid sharing

Avoid sharing of towels, shoes and socks between household members.
Use a separate towel for drying infected skin areas.

Prevention measures in public places

Wear shower shoes or sandals in locker rooms, public showers, and public baths.
Wash feet, particularly between the toes, with soap and dry thoroughly after bathing or showering.
If you have experienced an infection previously, you may want to treat your feet and shoes with over-the-counter drugs.

Personal prevention measures

Dry feet well after showering, paying particular attention to the web space between the toes.
Try to limit the amount that your feet sweat by wearing open-toed shoes or well-ventilated shoes, such as lightweight mesh running shoes.
Wear lightweight cotton socks to help reduce sweat. These must be washed in hot water and/or bleached to avoid reinfection. New light weight, moisture wicking polyester socks, especially those with anti-microbial properties, may be a better choice.
Use foot powder to help reduce moisture and friction. Some foot powders also include an anti-fungal ingredient.
Keep shoes dry by wearing a different pair each day.
Change socks and shoes after exercise.
Replace sole inserts in shoes/sneakers on a frequent basis.
Replace old sneakers and exercise shoes.
To prevent jock itch: When getting dressed, put on socks before underwear.^[11]
After any physical activity shower with a soap that has both an antibacterial and anti-fungal agent in it.

Treatments

There are many conventional medications (over-the-counter and prescription) as well as alternative treatments for fungal skin infections, including athlete's foot. Important with any treatment plan is the practice of good hygiene. Several placebo controlled studies report that good foot hygiene alone can cure athlete's foot even without medication in 30-40% of the cases.^[12] However, placebo-controlled trials of allylamines and azoles for athlete’s foot consistently produce much higher percentages of cure than placebo.^[13]

Conventional treatments

Conventional treatment typically involves daily or twice daily application of a topical medication in conjunction with hygiene measures outlined in the above section on prevention. Keeping feet dry and practicing good hygiene is crucial to preventing reinfection. Severe or prolonged fungal skin infections may require treatment with oral anti-fungal medication. Zinc oxide based diaper rash ointment may be used; talcum powder can be used to absorb moisture to kill off the infection.

Topical medications

Main article: Antifungal drug

The fungal infection is often treated with topical antifungal agents, which can take the form of a spray, powder, cream, or gel. The most common ingredients in over-the-counter products are miconazole nitrate (2% typical concentration in the United States) and tolnaftate (1% typ. in the U.S.). Terbinafine is another common over-the-counter drug. There exists a large number of prescription antifungal drugs, from several different drug families. These include ketaconazole, itraconazole, naftifine, nystatin, caspofungin. One study showed that allylamines (terbinafine, Amorolfine, naftifine, butenafine) cure slightly more infections than azoles (Miconazole, ketaconazole, clotrimazole, itraconazole, sertaconazole, etc.).^[13] Undecylenic acid (a castor oil derivative) is a known fungicide that can be used for fungal skin infections such as athlete's foot. Whitfield's Ointment (benzoic and salicylic acid) is an older treatment that still sees occasional use.

Some topical applications such as carbol fuchsin (also known in the U.S. as Castellani's paint), often used for intertrigo, work well but in small selected areas. This red dye, used in this treatment like many other vital stains, is both fungicidal and bacteriocidal; however, because of the staining it is cosmetically undesirable. For many years gentian violet was also used for bacterial and fungal infections between fingers or toes.

The time line for cure may be long, often 45 days or longer. The recommended course of treatment is to continue to use the topical treatment for four weeks after the symptoms have subsided to ensure that the fungus has been completely eliminated. However, because the itching associated with the infection subsides quickly, patients may not complete the courses of therapy prescribed.

Anti-itch creams are not recommended as they will alleviate the symptoms but will exacerbate the fungus; this is due to the fact that anti-itch creams typically enhance the moisture content of the skin and encourage fungal growth. For the same reason, some drug manufacturers are using a gel instead of a cream for application of topical drugs (for example, naftin and Lamisil). Novartis, maker of Lamisil, claims that a gel penetrates the skin more quickly than cream.

If the fungal invader is not a dermatophyte but a yeast, other medications such as fluconazole may be used. Typically fluconazole is used for candidal vaginal infections moniliasis but has been shown to be of benefit for those with cutaneous yeast infections as well. The most common of these infections occur in the web spaces (intertriginous) of the toes and at the base of the fingernail or toenail. The hall mark of these infections is a cherry red color surrounding the lesion and a yellow thick pus.

Oral medications

Oral treatment with griseofulvin was begun early in the 1950s. Because of the tendency to cause liver problems and to provoke aplastic anemia the drugs were used cautiously and sparingly. Over time it was found that those problems were due to the size of the crystal in the manufacturing process and microsize and now ultramicrosize crystals are available with few of the original side effects.^{[citation needed]}

For severe cases, the current preferred oral agent in the UK,^[14] is the more effective terbinafine.^[15] Other prescription oral antifungals include itraconazole and fluconazole.^[1]

Alternative treatments

Topical oils

Symptomatic relief from itching may be achieved after topical application of tea tree oil, probably due to its involvement in the histamine response;^[16] however, the efficacy of tea tree oil in the treatment of athlete's foot (achieving mycological cure) is questionable.^[17]^[18]

Onion extract

A study of the effect of 3% (v/v) aqueous onion extract was shown to be very effective in laboratory conditions against Trichophyton mentagrophytes and T. rubrum.^[19]

Garlic extract

Ajoene, a compound found in garlic, is sometimes used to treat athlete's foot.^[20]

Boric acid

Boric acid application in the socks is used to prevent athlete's foot when recurrent infections occurs, but is not used to treat it.^{[citation needed]}

Baking soda

Rubbing feet with a baking soda paste and/or sprinkling baking soda in shoes is thought to help by changing pH.^[21]

Household bleach (not recommended)

The use of household bleach as a direct topical application or soak for tinea pedis is not recommended, as it is a well documented irritant (clearly labelled in the United Kingdom as "Harmful" by COSHH)^{[citation needed]}. It is used diluted as an environmental decontaminatant to prevent the spread of dermatophytes between animals, and from animals to humans.

Epsom salts

Some podiatrists recommend soaking the feet in a solution of Epsom salts in warm water.^{[citation needed]}

Etymology

The Oxford English Dictionary documents written usage of the term in 1928 (1928 Lit. Digest 22 December. 16/1), which seems to undercut the claim by W. F. Young, Inc. that the term "athlete's foot" was originated, rather than simply popularized, as part of an advertising campaign for Absorbine Jr. during the 1930s.^[22]

Footnotes

^ ^a ^b Gupta AK, Skinner AR, Cooper EA (2003). "Interdigital tinea pedis (dermatophytosis simplex and complex) and treatment with ciclopirox 0.77% gel". Int. J. Dermatol. 42 (Suppl 1): 23–7. doi:10.1046/j.1365-4362.42.s1.1.x. PMID 12895184.
^ Guttman, C (2003). "Secondary bacterial infection always accompanies interdigital tinea pedis". Dermatol Times 4: S12. doi:10.1046/j.1365-4362.42.s1.1.x.
^ ^a ^b ^c Al Hasan M, Fitzgerald SM, Saoudian M, Krishnaswamy G (2004). "Dermatology for the practicing allergist: Tinea pedis and its complications". Clinical and Molecular Allergy 2 (1): 5. doi:10.1186/1476-7961-2-5. PMID 15050029. http://www.clinicalmolecularallergy.com/content/2/1/5.
^ Hainer BL (2003). "Dermatophyte infections". American family physician 67 (1): 101–8. PMID 12537173.
^ Hirschmann JV, Raugi GJ (2000). "Pustular tinea pedis". J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 42 (1 Pt 1): 132–3. doi:10.1016/S0190-9622(00)90022-7. PMID 10607333.
^ del Palacio, Amalia; Margarita Garau, Alba Gonzalez-Escalada and Mª Teresa Calvo. "Trends in the treatment of dermatophytosis" (PDF). Biology of Dermatophytes and other Keratinophilic Fungi: 148–158. http://www.dermatophytes.reviberoammicol.com/p148158.pdf. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
^ ^a ^b Causes of athlete's foot, at WebMD
^ "Athlete's foot". Mayo Clinic Health Center. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/athletes-foot/DS00317.
^ [1] Risk factors for athlete's foot, at WebMD
^ Robert Preidt (September 29, 2006). "Athlete's Foot, Toe Fungus a Family Affair" (Reprint at USA Today). HealthDay News. http://www.healthscout.com/news/68/535172/main.html. Retrieved 2007-10-10. ""Researchers used advanced molecular biology techniques to test the members of 57 families and concluded that toenail fungus and athlete's foot can infect people living in the same household.""
^ eMedicine - Tinea Cruris : Article by Michael Wiederkehr
^ Over-the-Counter Foot Remedies (American Family Physician)
^ ^a ^b Crawford F, Hollis S (18 July 2007). "Topical treatments for fungal infections of the skin and nails of the foot" (Review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (3): Art. No.: CD001434. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001434.pub2. http://www.mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD001434/frame.html.
^ National Library for Health (6 September 2007). "What is the best treatment for tinea pedis?". UK National Health Service. http://www.clinicalanswers.nhs.uk/index.cfm?question=6098. Retrieved 2007-09-29.
^ Bell-Syer SEM, Hart R, Crawford F, Torgerson DJ, Tyrrell W, Russell (22 April 2002). "Oral treatments for fungal infections of the skin of the foot". Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2: Art. No. CD003584.. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003584. PMID 12076488.
^ Koh KJ, Pearce AL, Marshman G, Finlay-Jones JJ, Hart PH (2002). "Tea tree oil reduces histamine-induced skin inflammation". Br. J. Dermatol. 147 (6): 1212–7. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2133.2002.05034.x. PMID 12452873.
^ Bedinghaus JM, Niedfeldt MW (2001). "Over-the-counter foot remedies". American family physician 64 (5): 791–6. PMID 11563570. http://www.aafp.org/afp/20010901/791.html.
^ Tong MM, Altman PM, Barnetson RS (1992). "Tea tree oil in the treatment of tinea pedis". Australasian J. Dermatology 33 (3): 145–9. doi:10.1111/j.1440-0960.1992.tb00103.x. PMID 1303075.
^ Shams M (May 1–4, 2004). "The effect of onion extract on ultrastructure of Trichophyton mentagrophytes and T. rubrum -- Abstract number: 902_p517". 14th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Prague / Czech Republic. European Society of clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/eccmid14/abstract.asp?id=14160. Retrieved 2007-09-29. and it is very strong
^ Eliades Ledezma, Katiuska Marcano, Alicia Jorquera, Leonardo De Sousa, Maria Padilla, Mireya Pulgar, Rafael Apitz-Castro (November 2000). "Efficacy of ajoene in the treatment of tinea pedis: A double-blind and comparative study with terbinafine". J Am Acad Dermatol 43 (5 pt 1): 829–832. doi:10.1067/mjd.2000.107243. PMID 11050588.
^ The Doctors Book of Home Remedies Athletes Foot
^ The Story of W. F. Young, Inc. and Absorbine at the Absorbine website.

External links

Infectious diseases · Mycoses and Mesomycetozoea (B35-B49, 110-118)

Superficial and
cutaneous
(dermatomycosis):
Tinea=skin;
Piedra (exothrix/endothrix)=hair

Ascomycota

Dermatophyte
(Dermatophytosis)

By location	Tinea barbae/Tinea capitis (Kerion) · Tinea corporis (Ringworm) · Tinea cruris · Tinea manuum · Tinea pedis (Athlete's foot) · Tinea unguium/Onychomycosis

By organism	Epidermophyton floccosum · Microsporum canis · Microsporum audouinii · Trichophyton interdigitale/mentagrophytes · Trichophyton tonsurans · Trichophyton schoenleini · Trichophyton rubrum

Other

Hortaea werneckii (Tinea nigra) · Piedraia hortae (Black piedra)

Basidiomycota

Malassezia furfur (Tinea versicolor) · Trichosporon beigelii (White piedra)

Subcutaneous,
systemic,
and opportunistic

Ascomycota

Dimorphic
(yeast+mold)

Onygenales	Coccidioides immitis/Coccidioides posadasii (Coccidioidomycosis) · Histoplasma capsulatum (Histoplasmosis) · Lacazia loboi (Lobo's disease) · Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (Paracoccidioidomycosis)

Other	Blastomyces dermatitidis (Blastomycosis) · Sporothrix schenckii (Sporotrichosis) · Penicillium marneffei (Penicilliosis)

Yeast-like

Candida albicans (Candidiasis, Oral, Esophageal, Chronic mucocutaneous) · C. glabrata · C. tropicalis · C. lusitaniae · Pneumocystis jirovecii (Pneumocystosis, Pneumocystis pneumonia)

Mold-like

Aspergillus (Aspergillosis, Aspergilloma, Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis) · Exophiala jeanselmei (Eumycetoma) · Fonsecaea pedrosoi/Fonsecaea compacta/Phialophora verrucosa (Chromoblastomycosis) · Geotrichum candidum (Geotrichosis) · Pseudallescheria boydii (Allescheriasis)

Basidiomycota

Cryptococcus neoformans (Cryptococcosis)

Zygomycota
(Zygomycosis)

Mucorales (Mucormycosis)	Rhizopus oryzae · Mucor indicus · Absidia corymbifera · Syncephalastrum racemosum

Entomophthorales (Entomophthoramycosis)	Basidiobolus ranarum (Basidiobolomycosis) · Conidiobolus coronatus/Conidiobolus incongruus (Conidiobolomycosis)

Microsporidia
(Microsporidiosis)

Enterocytozoon bieneusi/Encephalitozoon intestinalis

Mesomycetozoea

Rhinosporidium seeberi (Rhinosporidiosis)

see also drugs

Diseases of the skin and appendages by morphology

Growths

Epidermal	wart · callus · seborrheic keratosis · acrochordon · molluscum contagiosum · actinic keratosis · squamous cell carcinoma · basal cell carcinoma · merkel cell carcinoma · nevus sebaceous · trichoepithelioma

Pigmented	Freckles · lentigo · melasma · nevus · melanoma

Dermal and subcutaneous	epidermal inclusion cyst · hemangioma · dermatofibroma · keloid · lipoma · neurofibroma · xanthoma · Kaposi's sarcoma · infantile digital fibromatosis · granular cell tumor · leiomyoma · lymphangioma circumscriptum · myxoid cyst

Rashes

With
epidermal
involvement

Eczematous	contact dermatitis · atopic dermatitis · seborrheic dermatitis · stasis dermatitis · lichen simplex chronicus · Darier's disease · glucagonoma syndrome · langerhans cell histiocytosis · lichen sclerosus · pemphigus foliaceus · Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome · Zinc deficiency

Scaling	psoriasis · tinea (corporis · cruris · pedis · manuum · faciei) · pityriasis rosea · secondary syphillis · mycosis fungoides · systemic lupus erythematosus · pityriasis rubra pilaris · parapsoriasis · ichthyosis

Blistering	herpes simplex · herpes zoster · varicella · bullous impetigo · acute contact dermatitis · pemphigus vulgaris · bullous pemphigoid · dermatitis herpetiformis · porphyria cutanea tarda · epidermolysis bullosa simplex

Papular	scabies · insect bite reactions · lichen planus · miliaria · keratosis pilaris · lichen spinulosus · transient acantholytic dermatosis · lichen nitidus · pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta

Pustular	acne vulgaris · acne rosacea · folliculitis · impetigo · candidiasis · gonococcemia · dermatophyte · coccidioidomycosis · subcorneal pustular dermatosis

Hypopigmented	tinea versicolor · vitiligo · pityriasis alba · postinflammatory hyperpigmentation · tuberous sclerosis · idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis · leprosy · hypopigmented mycosis fungoides

Without
epidermal
involvement

Red

Blanchable
Erythema

Generalized	drug eruptions · viral exanthems · toxic erythema · systemic lupus erythematosus

Localized	cellulitis · abscess · boil · erythema nodosum · carcinoid syndrome · fixed drug eruption

Specialized	urticaria · erythema (multiforme · migrans · gyratum repens · annulare centrifugum · ab igne)

Nonblanchable
Purpura

Macular	thrombocytopenic purpura · actinic purpura

Papular	disseminated intravascular coagulation · vasculitis

Indurated

scleroderma/morphea · granuloma annulare · lichen sclerosis et atrophicus · necrobiosis lipoidica

Miscellaneous
disorders

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athlete's foot

Contents

Symptoms

Diagnosis

Transmission

Prevention

Prevention measures in the home

Treatments

Conventional treatments

Topical medications

Oral medications

Alternative treatments

Etymology

See also

Footnotes

External links