Dermatophyte is a common label for a group of fungus of Arthrodermataceae family that commonly causes skin infection in humans and animals. Fungal skin infection can be superficial or less commonly deep; the latter are seen more often in tropical climates or in the immunocompromised. Dermatophyte infections are extremely common and usually caused by the fungi of the Microsporum, Trichophyton and Epidermophyton species. The fungi can originate from soil(geophilic) or animals(zoophilic) or be confined to human skin(anthropophilic).  

TINEA CORPORIS

The site of infection is typically on exposed skin unless the infection represents an extension of a pre-existing infection. In such cases, infection may spread from the scalp, down the neck onto the upper trunk, or from the groins onto the buttocks and lower trunk. Characteristics lesions are circular, usually sharply emarginated with a raised edge. Single lesions occur or there may be multiple plaques. The latter may remain discrete or become concrescent. The degree of inflammation is roughly proportional to the extent of follicular invasion, thus tinea corporis is generally less inflammatory than tinea capitis or tinea barbae. In quieter infections scaling is common but not a constant finding. Sometimes pustules or vesicles may dominate. Central resolution in the lesions may occur but not an invariable feature of tinea corporis.