Eczema vs Ring Worm?

My boys had ringworm and it did not itch, so you can't use that as a defining factor. You can get over the counter anti-fungal cream for it. UNLESS it ends up in the scalp/hair. Then it will absolutely require prescription antibiotics. Even with the cream and antibiotics, it will take several weeks to go away. Wash the sheets every other night if it's ringworm. Ringworm is crazy contagious, so it's best to take her to a Dr. to find out exactly what it is, so that she will be treated and not spread it to the other kids. Cover the spots with bandaids for now to help avoid spreading it to others.

when my daughter had ring worm it took a good 3-4 weeks until it was gone after using lotramin cream. I don't really have any experience with excema though

I am a registered nurse, and I think you are right. Ringworm is circular in pattern with what is called "central clearing"--the inside being lighter than the outside. Eczema is not typically round, and does not have this. You can use an over the counter anti-fungal cream for ringworm. Maybe try switching to that, instead of the steroid cream. I now work for an elementary school, and we do allow them to attend with ringworm, BUT it HAS to be covered with a bandaid!!! If the anti fungal cream works, that can also be used to show her mom and your hubby that it was ringworm. Eczema does not respond to anti fungals. Good Luck!! I am always amazed at how many adults just don't want to bother with doing the right thing with their children. Even when it is sooooooo simple!!!!!!!!!!

This is silly (I'm talking about dad here)! If you think it's a medical problem, why don't you call the nurse desk at the clinic where she goes for regular treatment, while dad is home? Hopefully they'll tell you to bring her in. He won't be able to argue if there is a nurse on the other end of the phone saying she needs to be seen. Otherwise, go to an urgent care or even a minute clinic while at the store and take it from there.

I think you need to have her seen by a doctor. I haven't seen ringworm in person but I know eczema (which my daughter had as a baby) looks almost the same as my psorisis. Both eczema and psorisis will improve with steriod cream (I can see a difference with only 1 or 2 applications). Sometimes you need a medical professional to make the diagnosis. Maybe you can find a pediatrician with weekend hours so your husband and you have a doctor you can take her to see on weekends when she is with you. It is a pain I know but if it has happened twice that you need to take her to the doctor then it is likely to keep happening.

There is a kind of eczema called discoid eczema, it looks almost identical to ringworm, but if you treat it with a steroid it gets better. However if you treat ringworm with a steroid (cortisone) it goes ballistic, and spreads everywhere, or can hide the lesion, causing something called tinea incognito. so make sure you know if it is eczema or ringworm before you treat it!
Ringworm is very very very itchy, to the point where you will scratch and it will bleed. google them both, and you will see they are identical ( it is sometimes called nummular eczema) It is not that common in children though, whereas ringworm is, so it's hard to say definitely without a pic - can you post a pic? I am a podiatrist, and I saw LOTS of both over the years!
If you have been putting a steroid on a ringworm lesion for a week and there is no change, it is probably eczema...

From a web site:
Similarities Between Ringworm and Eczema

Although there are some notable differences between ringworm and eczema, this is unfortunately not always the case. A form of eczema, known as nummular eczema, is quite similar to ringworm in appearance and must be carefully diagnosed so that the condition is not agitated or unaffected because of an inadvertent mistake in prescription for the treatment of the condition.

Read more: Does Eczema Look Like Ringworm? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_###-###-####_eczema-look-like-r...

Only a doctor could probably diagnose for sure.

Well maybe you could just buy her a tube of anti fungal cream and send it home with her with a note about putting it on 2x a day. You could do the first dose at your home. I will say though that I occassionally get patches of excema that do look like ring worm. I've had both so I know the difference, but honestly, sometimes it's hard to tell. If she's never had excema before then yeah, maybe it's unlikely. There isn't much you can really do otherwise as it seems the mom isn't receptive to your advice.

I have had ring worm ( which has nothing to do with worms by the way). You can buy over the counter anti-fungal cream and put it on. It takes a LONG time to go away. I had 2 patches, one on each arm not near the bend, where I got them I don't know. I put the cream on 2x day for about 6 months to make them completely go away. The cream is the same as for athletes foot, the location of the fungus is what changes the name (I believe jock itch is the same fungus as well). I found only tiny tubes at CVS that said they were for Ring Worm, but much larger tubes for the same price that said they were for Athletes Foot, with the exact same ingredients.
It cannot hurt to try the anti-fungal cream. Untreated it will keep spreading to where she will have multiple patches all over her body, and it can also spread to other people.
http://www.dermstore.com/articles/article_10.htm

I responded to your original question and I feel that now even before it is definitely NOT eczema. Try the Lotrimin covered with a band aid and I'm telling you it will be gone or at least improved within a matter of a couple of days.

Since you have a child & a family that also lives in your house, I would tell dad that as a precaution, DD needs to be seen by a doctor, to rule out anything contagious, if this situation comes up again.

It sounds like no one really cares about that poor baby, except for you.

Rashes are hard to dect of what exactly it might be. My son had a rash sort of looking thing by his mouth. We didn't know what it was. Brought him to his dr and his doctor told me it was most likely ring worm. She gave me some cream etc. Well 2 weeks later it never cleared up. I was google this type of rash online. It was almost december of last year and this rash was still there for about 2 or 3 weeks. I start to put two and two together. I google psoriasis. Had all the same syptoms. Call and made another dr's app. His dr. was out and had to seen another dr. I told the doctor what was going on. I told her what our doctor told us what it is was and the cream wasn't doing anything. I asked her if it was psoriasis? I told her my mom,aunt and brother had some type of psoriasis and how it breaks out in cold weather. Sure enough she wrote out a prescription and it cleared up after a few days.Doctor's can make mistakes too!! :)

All I know there's so many kinds of rash and pretty much they look alike. But all I can say if the eczema cream didn't work then you have to move foward to the next thing and most likely its ring worm. They might want a doctor to check her out if they don't belive you!!! I know I do the same thing with my sister's kids. I care enough for them that I worry as if they were mine own. Hope they figured out whats wrong with her. :)

I feel for you, I really do. It would drive me crazy that the mother and the father of the young girl do not care enough to have her seen by a physician. You have a child with this man, is he usually this clueless or unwilling to seek help??

If he WON'T take her to the doctor or minute clinic, try the anti-fungal covered with a band-aid. Maybe you could ask her to go to the school nurse, I bet they will make the parents do something about it.

Good luck.

I have eczema and often get those round edged circles of rash, especially on my arms and legs. In fact, I have one on the side of my calf right now. Cortisone cream usually clears it up for me - sometime I use benadryl also. They don't always itch.

But, I would have her checked by a doctor since the cortisone has not worked. Find an On Call Clinic to take her to today before she goes back to her mother's. Always better to be safe than sorry.

All you can do is say, I do not think it is eczema and I would like it if you had it checked out or urged her mom.
you can show him this video ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTdMbTArPDM

Sounds like ring worm to me. My kids and good friend of mine have excema, and there is a big difference. I had ring worm once as a kid, and I still remember what it looked like. I would say you say something as soon as possible (especially, given the lice story), although it's always sensitive when it's other people's kids. Can you send him an email with a link to a picture? I do that with my husband some times - send him an article I've found, etc - when he seems convinced about something that I don't think is right.

I got a funky spot on my arm. Perfect circle, dark red around the edges and lighter in the middle. I went to the doctor right away and he said it was exema. He gave me some cream to put on it. It did clear up after a few days, but it comes back exactly the same from time to time. I also have a little patch that comes and goes just above my knee.
I was 40-something when I got it the first time. I'd never had it before. I'd never had ringworm either and thought that was exactly what it looked like, but fortunately, it wasn't.
If it's still there next time she comes back, just take her to have it looked at and then you will know for sure.