What is the medical term for ringworm?

Ringworm is a common fungal infection that affects the skin, scalp, or nails. The medical term used to describe ringworm is "tinea." This term encompasses various types of fungal infections that occur in different locations on the body, with each type often referred to as "tinea" followed by a specific location, such as tinea capitis for the scalp or tinea pedis for athlete's foot.

Understanding that "tinea" specifically refers to the infections caused by dermatophytes (a specific group of fungi) clarifies why this is the most accurate answer. Other terms like dermatitis refer to inflammation of the skin but do not specifically denote the fungal nature of ringworm. Psoriasis, on the other hand, is an autoimmune condition that leads to rapid skin cell turnover, also unrelated to fungal infections. "Fungus" is a broader category that includes organisms that cause many different types of infections, not just ringworm alone. Therefore, "tinea" is the precise medical terminology used for ringworm.