Ultraviolet Light Ringworm

Ringworm is very badly named because it is caused by a fungus not a worm says dr.

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. Canis the most common feline ringworm species to fluoresce. The uv light used for identifying ringworm is often known as a wood s lamp by practitioners. Ringworm makes its home on the hair and skin and it affects both people and pets.

The light itself looks bluish or purplish and causes some of the organisms responsible for ringworm to appear to glow yellow or green when the. However it is not very common. It also can detect skin pigment disorders such as vitiligo and other. Although both species fluoresce blue green under a wood s lamp both species are uncommon causes of tinea infections.

One of the simplest ways to diagnose ringworm is with the woods lamp which is an ultraviolet lamp also know as a black light. Uv blacklight flashlight 100 led uv flashlights super bright ultraviolet flashlight professional black light pet urine detector for dog cat hunting scorpions 4 6 out of 5 stars 554 19 99 19. A wood s lamp is an ultraviolet light with a specific wavelength of light which causes some strains of m. Confirm the diagnosis with a culture.

In humans ringworm forms a ring shaped raised red rash but this presentation is not common in animals. The light in the source is filtered using nickel oxide and is often called black light in common usage. John angus a veterinary dermatologist at the university of illinois veterinary teaching hospital in urbana. 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.

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.