Ultraviolet Light Ringworm

Take a culture of the suspected fungus with a cotton swab and allow it to develop in a sealed culture media or seek professional assistance.

Ultraviolet light ringworm.

Confirm the diagnosis with a culture. Ringworm makes its home on the hair and skin and it affects both people and pets. One of the simplest ways to diagnose ringworm is with the woods lamp which is an ultraviolet lamp also know as a black light. A black light diagnosis should not be considered conclusive.

A wood s lamp examination is a procedure that uses transillumination light to detect bacterial or fungal skin infections. The light in the source is filtered using nickel oxide and is often called black light in common usage. 50 of the microsporum canis species will fluoresce when the woods lamp is placed near the area of hair loss. A wood s lamp is an ultraviolet light with a specific wavelength of light which causes some strains of m.

In humans ringworm forms a ring shaped raised red rash but this presentation is not common in animals. Ringworm is very badly named because it is caused by a fungus not a worm says dr. The uv light used for identifying ringworm is often known as a wood s lamp by practitioners. Although both species fluoresce blue green under a wood s lamp both species are uncommon causes of tinea infections.

Ultraviolet light wood s lamp normally ultraviolet light is not useful in the diagnosis of tinea with the exception of two species microsporum canis and audouinii. Ultraviolet light used in diagnosing ringworm. A wood s lamp correctly used can be a helpful and cost effective screening tool. Canis the most common feline ringworm species to fluoresce.

Already used for medical conditions such as seasonal affective disorder sad uv light treatment combined with anti fungal drug treatments is sometimes used to combat a variety of fungal infections especially those of the skin or nails. However it is not very common. John angus a veterinary dermatologist at the university of illinois veterinary teaching hospital in urbana.