Bad eczema or ringworm?

Hi,
I have very sensitive skin and I have eczema scattered over my body, including my hands.  I've been using cortisol cream on and off, here and there for years.  

Up till recently I noticed the rash/dryness on my hand has became something strange - it used to be just crack, dry and itchy, it's better with lotion; however, they developed a lot of tiny blister looking things around the dry skin and they seem to be very inflamed (itchy too).  Most of the time they have drainage, and they seem to just be on my palm and some on my fingers.  Other eczema on my body doesn't seem to carry the same characteristics (the water blister looking things).  It's frustrating because I'm already using a stronger dosage of cortisol cream daily and the condition hasn't gone down completely.  Lately - the cortisol cream doesn't seem to help either, and it's difficult to  use my hand because it's on my palm and I can't carry or do house chores regularly.  

I saw my doctor for it and he doesn't think it's ringworm; he suggested me to get a kind of tape (cortisol I suppose) but it's brand name and I cannot afford it consider I'm not working at this point.  But I also found 2 other second opinions and they suggested it's ringworm.  I searched online and saw pictures of ringworm and some of them are similar to my condition.  The condition on my hand does not form into a ring, but they do form a round-like patch with lots of tiny water-blister looking things around them.  I saw a picture of a reaction to ringworm (called dermatophytids) and they cause water-like blisters just like mine.  I'm not sure what I can put on the patch anymore, anti-fungal medicine or cortisol.  I'm concerned because ringworm is contagious but eczema isn't.  The patches are red, with blisters protruding, itchy and tender to touch.  I'm doing everything I could to make it better but if it's not the right treatment it won't work.  Please tell me what it is!!!

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

This could be ringworm.

Skin medication is usually successful at treating Ringworm within 4 weeks. Advice often given to prevent ringworm includes:
* Avoidance of sharing clothing, sports equipment, towels, or sheets.
* Washing clothes in hot water with fungicidal soap after suspected exposure to ringworm.
* Avoidance of walking barefoot, wearing of appropriate protective shoes to the beach and flip-flops/thongs in locker rooms.
* After being exposed to places where the potential of being infected is great , washing with an antibacterial and anti-fungal soap or one that contains Tea Tree Oil, which contains terpinen-4-ol.

Treatment includes washing ths scalp with shampoo with selenium sulfide (2.5%) or zinc pyrithione (1-2%) used 2-3 times weekly at home. Oral steroids can also be added for severe inflammatory types of scalp ringworm.

Ringworm can be mistaken for one of the following conditions: granuloma annulare, discoid lupus, and sarcoidosis.

Bullous tinea pedis (athlete foot with blisters) can mimic bullous drug reactions, bullous pemphigoid, and other bullous diseases of the skin.

If suspected ringworm does not respond to routine antifungal treatment, further diagnostics must be performed, like a skin biopsy, a fungal culture, or a skin scraping for fungus identification.

Let us know if you need any further information. It would be advisable to consult a skin specialist for the symptoms and a proper clinical examination.

Let us know if you need any other information and post us on how you are doing.

Regards.