My 12yo has a "fungus"?

[happyhomemaker25]

Last year my 2nd daughter had a dark/black skin discoloration around her neck. We went to the Dr. but it disappeared the day before her appt.

When it reappeared this year I made the appointment right away. This time it was on her arm as well as her neck.

Today the Dr. came in, glanced at it, said it looked like a fungus and wrote a prescription for some cream. I said, "Where would she get a fungus at?" She said, "Around the house or yard." I said, "I have 5 other kids and they don't have it and they've not been out to play hardly at all this year because of weather and a few strange going ons in our neighborhood." She said, "Well, I don't know then." Then she left.

I have no idea what kind of fungus or what. My questions were all answered with a shrug. She said if it does not clear up with the cream she'll send her to a dermatologist. I miss my old pediatrician. I really miss her. She does not take the state insurance though so I'm stuck with this office now.

Has anyone else had an experience with a "fungus" of unknown origin? Any ideas? It really looks like dirt on her neck and arm, but it's not.

[Unicorn.]

Does it look like this: http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/skin_stuff/acanthosis.html or this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthosis_nigricans

 

or maybe this: http://dermatlas.med.jhmi.edu/image/Confluent_and_reticulated_papillomatosis_1_040620 or this: http://dermatlas.med.jhmi.edu/image/s010110_4

 

I think there is another skin condition, similar to the two above, but can't remember it right now.

[joannqn]

I have no answers, but when DS11 had ringworm in his scalp, the prescription medications (cream, oral, and shampoo) made it spread further. The spot just kept getting bigger and bigger. When the little circle had grown to 4 times it's original size, I gave up on the RX and switched to painting tea tree oil diluted with a bit of olive oil onto his head. Tea tree did the trick.

[Unicorn.]

Or this one: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002436/ (this one is actually a fungus)

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

Or this one: http://www.ncbi.nlm....lth/PMH0002436/ (this one is actually a fungus)

 

 

This one is really common. We've dealt with it in our house. It is easy to treat but takes some time to go away.

[TheReader]

One of my sons gets a fungus; the one he gets is from humidity/not getting dry well enough. He bathes with a special soap, and we have an Rx cream that he uses as needed, as well as a single dose of a pill when we first notice a flare-up (as in, it's literally only one pill).

 

In my son's case, he gets it but no one else because he is more hot natured and sweats the most, thus is "wet" more often, etc. It could be something along those lines as far as why one child and not the rest are affected. Although, we do have to make sure he doesn't share towels as it could spread that way.

[Library Momma]

Last summer my son had fungus in a patch on his face. The doctor told us that the most common cause is Bounce Houses. Sure enough he had been in a bounce house at a birthday party the week before. I recall a frightening statistic regarding how many rental and public bounce houses are actually cleaned properly between uses (if at all). I'll try to find it again. Luckily the cream she prescribed did the trick, but it took weeks to completely disappear.

[Momof3littles]

I was misdiagnosed with tinea versicolor for a while. I really have psoriasis. Tinea versicolor is really common in humid environments. It lives in your skin naturally, but just takes hold more in some people. That can leave little blotches. Some people have darker spots and some end up with lighter spots. I don't think it usually forms a ring, but just tossing out a common fungal thing that is out there. It isn't considered contagious because most people already have it on their skin.

 

Ring around the neck makes me think acanthosis nigricans though like a PP said. That's a symptom of insulin resistance and PCOS for some women. That tends to look somewhat velvety and like "dirt" around the neck that won't come off. I think some people get it in their armpits too. Not sure if pops up on the arms, but I don't think it does. Might be worth looking at pics and asking if can be ruled in or out, since IR is something you'd want to know about and isn't purely cosmetic.

[happyhomemaker25]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthosis_nigricans

 

It looks more like this one to me, but that could be because it's the worst case. LOL

I have her getting a bath every night and drying with a new towel starting tonight. She tends to go a day without showering occasionally. I just want to see if that helps. The pharmacy we use said it will be two days before they have the cream so I'm going to wait to see what happens over the next two days.

We've been home bound much of this year, so I'm not sure where she could have picked this up at outside of our home.

Thanks! i've never dealt with this before and of course I kept thinking, what did I do wrong. :)

[happyhomemaker25]

I was misdiagnosed with tinea versicolor for a while. I really have psoriasis. Tinea versicolor is really common in humid environments. It lives in your skin naturally, but just takes hold more in some people. That can leave little blotches. Some people have darker spots and some end up with lighter spots. I don't think it usually forms a ring, but just tossing out a common fungal thing that is out there. It isn't considered contagious because most people already have it on their skin.

 

Ring around the neck makes me think acanthosis nigricans though like a PP said. That's a symptom of insulin resistance and PCOS for some women. That tends to look somewhat velvety and like "dirt" around the neck that won't come off. I think some people get it in their armpits too. Not sure if pops up on the arms, but I don't think it does. Might be worth looking at pics and asking if can be ruled in or out, since IR is something you'd want to know about and isn't purely cosmetic.

 

 

 

We do live in FL and the humidity can get down right horrible here.

I looked at the pics someone else posted and to me it does look a lot like the Ancanthosis Nigricans which is what worries me, but I guess a week or two won't be a big deal in diagnosing. She told me I could come back after a week if it was not cleared up and she would refer us to a dermatologist. My thought is wouldn't you want the PCP to test for Ancanthosis Nigricans instead of the dermatologist?

I like the description velvety and "dirt". It does very much resemble that.

[Momof3littles]

If it is Acanthosis Nigricans, you might want to consider an endocrinology visit for her. Or get that ruled in/out and then decide, since A.N. can go with some other issues. I have PCOS but don't have AN. My mom has a touch of AN and it only made sense once I got my diagnosis. And I'm sure you've read on it now that people have posted about it, but AN isn't contagious. I'd probably err on the side of caution until you know for sure, just in case.

[Tap]

Or this one: http://www.ncbi.nlm....lth/PMH0002436/ (this one is actually a fungus)

 

I have seen this quite a few times. Taking a shower, applying Selsun Blue Shampoo to the skin, letting it sit for 5 minutes or so and then washing off, seems to take care of it in a couple of treatments.

 

Some people also have it clear up after swimming in a chlorinated pool or hot tub.

[acurtis75]

 

 

I have seen this quite a few times. Taking a shower, applying Selsun Blue Shampoo to the skin, letting it sit for 5 minutes or so and then washing off, seems to take care of it in a couple of treatments.

 

Some people also have it clear up after swimming in a chlorinated pool or hot tub.

 

My husband gets this almost every summer. The selson blue usually works unless it is too out of control. If it gets really bad he has to get a prescription medicine.

[unsinkable]

I have no answers, but when DS11 had ringworm in his scalp, the prescription medications (cream, oral, and shampoo) made it spread further. The spot just kept getting bigger and bigger. When the little circle had grown to 4 times it's original size, I gave up on the RX and switched to painting tea tree oil diluted with a bit of olive oil onto his head. Tea tree did the trick.

 

Nummular excema looks like ringworm