Ringworm?? This rash just keeps returning :(

[WhyTheHeckMe]

Dh in April last year had a rash appear as shown in pic on his face, back, tummy and thighs.
Doc gave cream and diagnosed as ringworm and it went in 2 days.
6 weeks later it came back with avengence at the end of may. Went back to doc and was given different cream which worked.
July, same thing. This time given tablets. Worked.
September we were away at centerparcs and it appears on day 1. No Meds, couldn't use the pool. All over his face so he didn't even want to go out. Got new 'strong' tablets (28 day course). Rash went finally in Nov! !
January and here we are again.

Always starts with a couple of tiny ones on his forehead and within 48 hours he's covered
His doc seems clueless as to why. I've told dh to go back and ask to see a dermatologist but he won't as doc already told him no before! What would you think they should be doing? We have no pets. Me and 2 yo ds have never caught it. I'm 28 weeks pregnant and really don't want it! Please help ...

He needs to go back. At this stage they probably need to send skin scrapings to confirm the diagnosis. It does look like ringworm but it's odd that it keeps coming back and that no-one else has caught it. Discoid eczema, pityriasis rosea, pityriasis versicolor, guttate psoriasis, and granuloma annulare can all masquerade as ringworm.

My money is on pityriasis rosea - your description of it always starting in the same place (the textbook "herald patch") is classic. I also suspect the GP will send scrapings (if not yet done) and send him on to a dermatologist at this point.

Hi JohnHunter.
Thank you for the advice, he is feeling unwell with it this time (achey and lethargic) which is a sign of pityriasis rosea, however he doesn't have the classis shimmer effect to it. And the herald patch on his forehead (or the one that appeared first) is very small in comparison to the rest.
But like you say if it's ringworm it's very odd that me and ds have never caught it.
I've insisted he goes back to doc tomorrow and asks for scrapings to be sent off as it's getting very annoying now, the fact it's all over his forehead is very unsightly too and means he doesn't feel comfortable going to work but he can't not due to how long this seems to last for!
Thank you

Sorry no advice but I just wanted to sympathise. Poor fella, I too had bad ringworm last October that lasted weeks. It was a pain in the ass, having to constantly wash towels and bed clothes. It took 3 rounds of cream before it started to clear but I found a bath with drops of tea tree oil really helped to kill off. johnHunter has given sound advice, it is proberly something other than ringworm.

I hope he gets it sorted.

Thank you eightdays and I'm glad yours has got sorted :) we really take for granted when we don't have things like this eh!
5th time in 9 months just seems too much now and I really feel for him!

I was misdiagnosed with ringworm when infact it was pityriasis rosea.
Your DH must go back and get a proper diagnosis from a dermatologist; GPs are generalists after all and this type of issue is also outside a GPs general remit.

What is the treatment for pityriasis rosea and does it go away for good once treated? Thanks!

Your DH should see a dermatologist; as mentioned my PR was misdiagnosed as ringworm. He needs a skin biopsy.

There is no treatment for PR unless you suffer from itching and discomfort. Itching can be soothed with antihistamine or steroid creams. It took around 6 or so weeks for my PR to disappear completely although it can take up to 12 weeks. PR is not contagious. I have not had this since but I have read of such recurring.

It looks very much like the rash I get for guttate psoriasis. WhenI have a throat infection I get the rash

Thank you for the advice. Dh has an appointment tomorrow afternoon so I'll let you know how he gets on. For some reason his Doctor has been very reluctant to test the scrapings or refer him on as he's been convinced Meds will fix it! I've told dh he must put his foot down this time.

This could be very wide of the mark but I had a friend at university with an identical looking rash that was eventually diagnosed as a vitamin / mineral deficiency - how is his diet?

My husband has a very similar looking rash on his back, he was told by the GP it's a skin condition similar to eczema. He was told to buy some shampoo called Selsun (you can get it over the counter from pharmacists, we got it from boots). He had to put it on dry skin after he'd showered (don't rinse off). It cleared up really quickly. It still comes back occasionally but a few days of using this and it disappears again. Perhaps worth a try?

Wonder if its discoid eczema as it can be misdiagnosed as ringworm

Gp finally agreed it's beyond him and he has a dermatologist appt in 2-3 weeks where they will do scrapings. Thanks again for the advice :-)

My 12 year old son had ring shaped rashes too, all over and different sizes from time to time. After going to a dermatologist we determined he has "Coin Psoriasis." It looks very much like ring worm but acts more like psoriasis and becomes scalled and fades in and out. It's more active for my son in the winter months or if he is immuno-compromised.