Tinea Cruris

Excerpt

Tinea cruris, also known as jock itch, is an infection involving the genital, pubic, perineal, and perianal skin caused by pathogenic fungi known as dermatophytes. These dermatophytes affect keratinized structures such as hair and the epidermis' stratum corneum resulting in a characteristic rash. Intertriginous areas are hospitable environments for fungus, with sweating, maceration, and alkaline pH being responsible for the groin's predilection for infection.

While tinea infections are often classified by the location of the body affected, they are also organized according to the responsible organism's primary source and mode of transmission. Geophilic, zoophilic, and anthropophilic fungi are found in and transmitted by soil, animals, and humans, respectively. Autoinfection of dermatophytes is also possible and especially crucial in tinea cruris as foot-to-groin spread can occur.