Ringworm or Impetigo? (Picture)

[MN Mom]

I know they can look awfully similar and I found this on my dd's back last night when she complained of an itch. I am treating it as though it is ringworm, but I want more opinions!

Here is a picture of it this morning after one treatment of Monistat / Desinex cocktail. I cleaned it with Witch Hazel to help ease itching before applying the meds last night, and this morning.

[dEHmom]

from a picture it might look different but

before you applied anything to it, was it hard and dry? It could just be an discoid eczema. My whole family gets them. Cortisone cream clears it.

If not I "guess" it's ringworm.

[Cat Herder]

Looks like ringworm to me.....

[Francine]

I am thinking eczema too! When my daughter was a baby my husband was in the navy and we were stations overseas. My daughter had this stuff all over both of her cheeks, the military docters treated her for ringworm and impetigo nothing they did cleared it up. We came back to the states on leave, I took her to the Dr. he took one look at her face and said "oh, she has eczema, how are you treating it?" Told me to go to the drug store and buy a tub of Eucerin CREAM...it was gone in a couple of days! Her cheeks were bright red and nasty looking in every picture that we have of her until we came home on leave when she was 9 months old.

[Kaddidle Care]

Hmm I think let a Dr. decide. Great photo though.

[countrymom]

is it itchy, to me it looks like eczema, my ds had a huge one around his knee, so i put some cream on it and its gone.

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by Kaddidle Care

Hmm I think let a Dr. decide. Great photo though.

This is true....

I am assuming OP's DD has had ringworm before, though...so she would know what she was looking for for the most part.....

My head works the same way.. rule out conditions by treating possible causes if I am fairly confident I know what it is. (with minor illness only, of course)

No history of eczema, OP??

[MN Mom]

She had seborrheic dermatitis as a baby, but hasn't had it in a long time. It cleared up around the age of 2. She is almost 8 now. I have never seen ringworm before, but my husband who works with livestock insisted it was ringworm. I, being curious, looked up skin disorders and saw pictures of impetigo and ringworm that looked the same =/

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by MN Mom

She had seborrheic dermatitis as a baby, but hasn't had it in a long time. It cleared up around the age of 2. She is almost 8 now. I have never seen ringworm before, but my husband who works with livestock insisted it was ringworm. I, being curious, looked up skin disorders and saw pictures of impetigo and ringworm that looked the same =/

Ahhh... We had a stray kitten who gave ringworm to the entire family recently...

We ended up just getting RX for one Diflucan tablet each to knock it out fast.

Ped was afraid we would keep passing it back and forth with 5 folks and 3 cats with it...

1 pill each, no muss/no fuss... I LOVE that man...

[momofsix]

Doesn't look like ringworm to me...whenever I've seen it the "ring" has been an exact circle. I'd do as pp said and try cortisone cream and see what happens. If you don't see any improvement, call the Dr. and see what they say.

[dEHmom]

often taking the child with you (or if its a dck, tell parents to) to the pharmacy, they can look at it and tell you what might work. If it's extreme, then you'd need a prescription. but usually a cortisone based product even diaper cream would work. be careful not to spread the cream off though, because it could spread the rash.

[MN Mom]

Thanks for all the responses! After 2 days of treatments (fungal, anti-bacterial, cortisone cocktail) it is still angry looking, but not nearly as bad as the picture in the OP. I'm giving the treatment until Saturday for a substantial improvement, then I'm taking her to the Pharm or Doc if the Pharmacy has no idea or suggestions on medications. Maybe I'll snap another photo this afternoon and post for a "compare and contrast" session

[MN Mom]

All cleared up. After adding the Cortisone, it started to really subside...so I altered the cream cocktail to a neosporin/cortisone mix. I honestly think it was discoid eczema....which was scary looking, but easy to treat! Thanks again for all your help!

[dEHmom]

glad it is cleared up!!!

Just remember that with the cold weather especially, and heat on, the dry air will dry the skin right out. Every winter we get the discoid eczema and this year was the first time we didn't (I've been using lotion all winter on myself and kids after bath/shower).

[MissAnn]

Originally Posted by MN Mom

I know they can look awfully similar and I found this on my dd's back last night when she complained of an itch. I am treating it as though it is ringworm, but I want more opinions!

Here is a picture of it this morning after one treatment of Monistat / Desinex cocktail. I cleaned it with Witch Hazel to help ease itching before applying the meds last night, and this morning.

This looks like my granuloma anulare. That is not contagious but takes a biopsy to diagnose.

[Angelsj]

Ringworm typically has a "ring" appearance, with a blank area in the center. Typically the route goes, try moisture (get a good one like aquaphor.) If that does not work, try antibiotic ointment. If that makes it worse rather than better, try fungal (lotrimin or such) ointment.

If that isn't helping after 2-3 days, doctor time.