# Does only ringworm look like ringworm? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 22, 2000, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-only-ringworm-look-like-ringworm/46835 "2000-12-22T09:10:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-only-ringworm-look-like-ringworm/46835/1 "2000-12-22T09:10:56Z")
I have a red ring, very slightly itchy. The ring isn’t quite closed, but it is a ring. I’m treating it with prescription cream, it doesn’t seem to be getting better. But I dunno. What I want to know is…does anything \*\*\* other than \*\* \* ringworm look pretty much exactly like ringworm? Because if not, i won’t worry about it and just keep treating it. Actually, to be more to the point, the question is: Does anything deadly, incurable, and likely to kill or disable me look like ringworm? Because if not I’ll just keep treating it and not worry about it. stoid ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-only-ringworm-look-like-ringworm/46835/2 "2000-12-22T16:57:01Z")
Doesn’t tick fever (a/k/a Rocky Mountain fever, a/k/a spotted tick fever) start with a red ring? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-only-ringworm-look-like-ringworm/46835/3 "2000-12-22T16:59:12Z")
Of course, I guess it’s not the season for that one… ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-only-ringworm-look-like-ringworm/46835/4 "2000-12-22T17:34:29Z")
Is it a slightly raised ring, or is it just a round itchy spot? When I had ringworm, it was more of a raised spot. If you’re using a prescription cream, didn’t the doctor tell you when you should expect results? If not and it’s been more than a week or two, maybe it’s time to call the doctor back, or at least ask your pharmacist. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-only-ringworm-look-like-ringworm/46835/5 "2000-12-22T17:44:55Z")
Other fungi cause ringworm-like rashes, but they’d most likely be treated with the same stuff, IIRC. RMSF does start with a rash, but I think it’s an all-over rash rather than a ring. It’s also accompanied by flu-like symptoms. I think you’re thinking of Lyme disease, which does start with a bullseye rash at the site of the bite. But as you say, this isn’t really the season… (IANAD) ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-only-ringworm-look-like-ringworm/46835/6 "2000-12-22T19:42:06Z")
My son’s eczema patch (on the back of his knee) looks like ringworm. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-only-ringworm-look-like-ringworm/46835/7 "2000-12-23T19:22:25Z")
you’re describing a target lesion, which may be a sign of ringworm, or of a large number of other things. If the lesion is not responding to an anti-fungal agent, a skin scraping should be taken to culture for fungus and/or examine under the microscope. If the diagnosis is in doubt after this, other things should be considered, like eczema, atopic dermatitits, lupus erythematosis, Kawasaki’s disease, lyme’s disease, erythema multeforme, and a host of others, some trivial, some not so. Statistically, the likelyhood of your lesion having a trivial (ie non-life or health threatening) cause is upwards of 95%, just cuz most rashes are not caused by bad diseases. No great comfort, however, to the other 5%, and I’m not saying the rash shouldn’t be taken seriously, only that the odds are in your favor Qadgop, MD ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-only-ringworm-look-like-ringworm/46835/8 "2000-12-23T22:36:04Z")
Eh, **Stoidela** speaking from experience, skin fungus things like ringworm can take weeks, even MONTHS, to clear up. Just make sure that you’re talking to a competent dermatologist and hang in there. Also, don’t laugh, but good nutrition definitely helps. I’m not some kind of health food nut, but it is a fact that your body can fight this thing with only a little bit of assistance from the pharmaceutical industry. Don’t expect Pfizer to carry the whole load. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2000, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-only-ringworm-look-like-ringworm/46835/9 "2000-12-26T22:28:25Z")
[anecdote] Many years ago my body became covered with small round scaly patches, most of which had a raised red ring. I was sure I had ringworm (as was my boyfriend at the time). I went the dermatologist, and he diagnosed me with eczema. He was nice enough to test for ringworm when I insisted, and that showed clean. He then spent about 20 minutes (but it seemed like an hour) informing me (in a very monotone voice) that eczema was an allergic reaction but it wasn’t possible to determine what the allergen was. Oddly enough, although I still get the odd patch occasionally, I have never gotten more than one or two patches since that outbreak went away. [/anecdote] Go see a dermatologist.