The areal extent of dermatophyte infection.

After stripping with vinyl tape, dermatophytes may be cultured throughout the depth of the stratum corneum. In the present study skin strippings were used to investigate the horizontal spread of the dermatophyte infection. In five cases of tinea cruris and in twenty-two cases of tinea corporis, fungi could be cultured not only from the visible lesion, but in the majority of cases also from the normal-looking skin up to 6 cm from the margin of the lesion. No relationship could be found between the size and age of the lesion and the invasion of surrounding, normal-looking skin.