Tinea versus Urticaria

I' am a 27 year old with no known allergies or medical illnesses.
1 week ago, I started having annular, raised rashes (wihout scaling) with central clearing over my inner arm. A few days later, I noticed the same type of rashes over my lower back, then also over the back of my legs. I thought the rashses were tinea corporis, but they became increasingly bigger and more abundant despite starting on topical miconazole.
I just realised today that the rashes also looked a lot like urticarial rashes, except for the fact that they last longer and seem to be spreading over time.
How do I differentiate between a tinea rash and an urticarial rash?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Tinea corporis is a fungal infection of the skin which is also called ringworm and is contagious in nature. It may occur on any part of the body. Get it checked from a dermatologist as you may need KOH examination of the skin scrapings done to confirm the diagnosis.
Hives (medically known as urticaria) are red, itchy, raised areas of skin that appear in varying shapes and sizes. To confirm the diagnosis KOH examination of the skin scrapings or fungal culture may be needed.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.