Dear Doctor
Hello there, I have an issue where my back is getting darker and darker. My precious doctor (an internal medicine doctor) said that it’s was just a fungus infection but for some reason I want a second opinion.
Dear Patient
The lesions on your back do seem like they have been caused by a fungal infection like Tinea Corporis.
Tinea Corporis Tests
One way that we can confirm that it is a fungal infection is to do a KOH Skin Scrapings. This is a painless procedure in which the doctor will scrape some of the dark skin with a blade and send it to the lab where it will be mixed with potassium hydroxide (KOH). It will then be examined under a microscope for fungal elements.
Tinea Corporis Treatment
If it is confirmed to be a fungal infection, you can treat it with antifungal medications like the following:
- Terbinafine (Lamisil) 250 mg once a day for 1 month
- Itraconazole (Sporanox) 200 mg once a day for 7 days
- Ketoconazole 200 mg twice a day for 10 days
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