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Fungal skin infection - body and groin - Background information
What causes it?

  • Fungal infection of the skin is caused by dermatophytes, and is also known as ringworm or tinea [Hainer, 2003].
  • Fungal skin infections are more common in men than in women. They can be caught by [Hainer, 2003]:
    • Direct contact with an infected person (anthropophilic infection) or animal, for example dogs, cats, guinea pigs, and cattle (zoophilic infection).
    • Contact with soil (geophilic infections), although this is rare.
    • Indirect contact with items contaminated with the fungus, for example clothing, towels, bedclothes, and chairs handled by people with the infection.
  • Tinea corporis (dermatophyte fungal infection of the body) is usually caused by Trichophyton rubrum [Weinstein and Berman, 2002; Gupta et al, 2003; Havlickova and Friedrich, 2008].
  • Tinea cruris (dermatophyte fungal infection of the groin) is most commonly caused by autoinoculation from dermatophyte infection of the hands, feet, or nails and is caused by Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, or Epidermophyton floccosum [Hainer, 2003; Loo, 2004; Andrews and Burns, 2008].
    • It occurs when temperature and humidity are high (such as occlusion from wet or tight-fitting clothing) [Hainer, 2003].
    • It usually affects adolescent and young adult men, although it may be seen in post-pubertal females who are overweight or who wear tight clothing [Andrews and Burns, 2008].

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