An outbreak of tinea corporis gladiatorum on a high school wrestling team.

Author(s): Beller M, Gessner BD

Affiliation(s): Section of Epidemiology, Alaska Division of Public Health, Anchorage 99524.

Publication date & source: 1994-08, J Am Acad Dermatol., 31(2 Pt 1):197-201.

Publication type:

BACKGROUND: An outbreak of tinea corporis occurred in members of a high school wrestling team during the 1992-1993 season. OBJECTIVE: To control the outbreak, we conducted an epidemiologic investigation. METHODS: We examined 28 team members and obtained skin scrapings from 16. To control the outbreak we recommended (1) griseofulvin for 1 month to treat persons with more than two lesions or any facial lesion(s) and topical ketoconazole or econazole for 1 month to treat all others and (2) that wrestlers be excluded from wrestling until 10 days of topical treatment or 15 days of oral treatment had been completed. RESULTS: Twenty-one wrestlers had lesions consistent with tinea corporis and 10 had Trichophyton tonsurans infection confirmed by culture. A new eruption developed in 12 wrestlers after the recommendations were implemented. CONCLUSION: This is the third and largest outbreak of tinea corporis gladiatorum to be described in the United States. Appropriate control measures have not yet been established.