Is it ringworm or not?

[farmor]

My 2  and a half was taken to the peditrician after seeing a crusty area on his scalp.  About the size of a quarter, no tests were done.  It was determined that he had ringworm.  I didn't feel it was, it looked more like exzema or soriases.  This has now been 2 weeks.  The medication he was put on is Griseofulvin.  The med has been flavored, but in order for him to take it, he has to be held down and his mouth has to be pried open.  Only a drop goes down.
The crusty area on his scalp is going away.  Not because of the auful tasting or smelling med.  but because I butted in.  Each time I get a breakout of soriases(sp.?) or exaema I use hydrogin/proxide deluted with water.  Since I srayed a little each day for 3 days straight, it seems to be helping.  My question to you, please is, if in fact he has to continue to take Griseofulvin with flavoring, is there another way is easier?  Or perhaps he didn't have ringworm at all.  No culture was taken.

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

As you have already mentioned, the best possible way to detemine whether this is a fungal infection, is to make a slide out of it and test it under the microscope. I think you may go back to the doctor who prescribed the Griseofulvin and ask for a retest in this case.

The doctor may change the medication or the diagnosis. It is hard to say if this may be fungal or any other infection based just on the description in the post.

I would also recommend not using any other medication than prescribed by the doctor.

Hope this helps, let me know if you may need any more information.

[MamaOrff]

I have two children with ringworm of the scalp.  It does not look the same as is does on the body.  It does form round circles that look scaly and are either bald or have little broken hairs.  I have not started the griseofulvin yet because one doctor said to use Nizoral (ketoconazole shampoo) for 3 months and it would go away...  I have yet to find another source to back it up, it seems the general feeling is you can't get rid of the stubborn fungus once it gets in the hair follicle unless you do the oral.  I fear I will have to give it to both of my children to get rid of this stuff!

[91004]

When my kids get ringworm I put that I cant think of the name but you use it for jock itch and it goes away within 2 days the doc has never put my kids on antibiotics. My oldest son got the same thing your describing in his head and the doc told me it was exema and to use head and shoulder(any type of shampoo for this) every nite to clear it up. I would say stop the antibiotic. Ringworm is red in color and round. Doesnt sound like ringworm to me either