[Erythrasma: study of 16 cases].

BACKGROUND: Erythrasma is a chronic bacterial infection due to Corynebacterium minutissimum, affecting the interspaces of the toes, the axillary folds and the groin. Its impact is underestimated as it is often misdiagnosed ad wrongly taken as a dermatophytic infection. AIM: Through a hospital series, we report the epidemiologic and clinical features of erythrasma, as well as the therapeutic ways. methods: A retrospective study over a 20 year period and including the patients diagnosed as having erythrasma after a Wood's light examination. results: There were 16 patients (6 males and 10 females) with an average age of 44.6 years-old. The majority of our patients consulted on hot season. Clinical examination showed macular plaques with clear limits, erythematous in 6 cases and yellowish in the remaining cases. The lesions were located at the axillary folds in 13 cases; the groin in 2 cases and at all folds in one case. Treatment with erythromycin (topical or general administration) was the most prescribed. Outcome was generally favourable, but recurrences have been noticed. CONCLUSION: Erythrasma is a frequent misdiagnosed infection and often confused with a mycosis (especially in the interspaces of the toes); knowing that antimycotic agents are efficient in erythrasma. This is probably the reason of the small number of patients in our series.

The prevalence of interdigital erythrasma in southern region of Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Erythrasma is a skin infection which is caused by Corynebacterium minutissimum. Interdigital erythrasma is the most common form. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to detect the frequency and risk factors of interdigital erythrasma in patients with clinically suspected tinea pedis. METHODS: This study was conducted between June and December 2010 and included 122 patients who had interdigital foot lesions. All patients were examined using a Wood's lamp. The smears were stained using Gram's method. Direct examination was performed using 20% potassium hydroxide. Sabouraud dextrose agar and brain heart infusion agar were used for cultures. Moreover, the demographical characteristics of patients, concomitant diseases and clinical findings were also recorded. Cases that were found to be positive on Wood's lamp examination and/or Gram staining/culture were considered as erythrasma. RESULTS: The rate of erythrasma was found to be 46.7%. The mean age was 43.6 years, and the disease was more prevalent in men. The most common clinical finding was desquamation. Mycological examination was found as positive in 40.35% of the patients. No growth was observed in bacteriological cultures. It was found that using only Wood's lamp examination or Gram staining resulted in 11 (9%) and 19 positive patients (15.6%), respectively, whereas using both Wood's lamp examination and Gram staining concurrently resulted in 27 positive patients (22.1%). CONCLUSION: Interdigital erythrasma is a commonly seen condition and can clinically mimic tinea pedis. A Wood's lamp is a good diagnostic tool, but Gram staining, particularly in those with a negative Wood's lamp result, may be a useful method.

The prevalence of interdigital erythrasma: a prospective study from an outpatient clinic in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Erythrasma is a superficial skin infection caused by Corynebacterium minutissimum . Interdigital erythrasma is the most common form and is easily confused with tinea pedis. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of interdigital erythrasma in patients with clinically suspected tinea pedis. METHODS: This study was performed between January 1, 2011, and January 31, 2012. It included 182 patients who presented with concerns about interdigital lesions. All of the patients were examined with a Wood's lamp, and smears were stained with Gram's method. Direct examination with 20% potassium hydroxide was performed. RESULTS: Of 182 patients with interdigital lesions, 73 (40.1%) were diagnosed as having erythrasma. The mean ± SD age of the patients with erythrasma was 45.52 ± 10.83 years (range, 22-70 years). Most of the patients with erythrasma were women (56.2%). The most often clinical finding was desquamation. Using only Wood's lamp examination or Gram's staining resulted in 31 (42.5%) or 14 (19.2%) positive patients, respectively. Using Wood's lamp examination and Gram's staining concurrently resulted in 28 positive patients (38.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Interdigital erythrasma is a common condition and can be difficult to differentiate from tinea pedis. Simple and rapid diagnosis can be made with Wood's lamp examination, but Gram's staining is also a useful method, especially in patients with negative Wood's lamp examination findings.

Interdigital foot infections: Corynebacterium minutissimum and agents of superficial mycoses.

Interdigital foot infections are mostly caused initially by dermatophytes, yeasts and less frequently by bacteria. Erythrasma caused by Corynebacterium minutissimum can be confused with superficial mycoses. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of the etiologic agents of superficial mycoses and the frequency of Corynebacterium minutissimum in interdigital foot infections. All the samples obtained from the 121 patients with interdigital foot infections were examined directly with the use of 20% potassium hydroxide mounts and Gram stain under the microscope and cultured on Sabouraud's dextrose agar plates. In identification of superficial mycoses, the rate was found to be 14% with the cultural method and 14% with direct microscopic examination. Using a combination of direct microscopic examination and culture, a 33.8% ratio was achieved. In the culture of these samples, the most isolated factor was Trichophyton rubrum (33.7%). In 24 of the patients (19.8%) Corynebacterium minutissimum was detected by Gram staining, in 6 of these patients Trichophyton rubrum was found, Trichophyton mentagrophytes was found in 2 and Trichosporon spp. was found in 1. The examination of interdigital foot lesions in the laboratory, the coexistence of erythrasma with dermatophytes and yeast should be considered.

Interdigital foot infections: Corynebacterium minutissimum and agents of superficial mycoses

Interdigital foot infections are mostly caused initially by dermatophytes, yeasts and less frequently by bacteria. Erythrasma caused by Corynebacterium minutissimum can be confused with superficial mycoses. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of the etiologic agents of superficial mycoses and the frequency of Corynebacterium minutissimum in interdigital foot infections. All the samples obtained from the 121 patients with interdigital foot infections were examined directly with the use of 20% potassium hydroxide mounts and Gram stain under the microscope and cultured on Sabouraud's dextrose agar plates. In identification of superficial mycoses, the rate was found to be 14% with the cultural method and 14% with direct microscopic examination. Using a combination of direct microscopic examination and culture, a 33.8% ratio was achieved. In the culture of these samples, the most isolated factor was Trichophyton rubrum (33.7%). In 24 of the patients (19.8%) Corynebacterium minutissimum was detected by Gram staining, in 6 of these patients Trichophyton rubrum was found, Trichophyton mentagrophytes was found in 2 and Trichosporon spp. was found in 1. The examination of interdigital foot lesions in the laboratory, the coexistence of erythrasma with dermatophytes and yeast should be considered.

[Interdigital erythrasma: clinical, epidemiologic, and microbiologic findings]. / Eritrasma interdigital: datos clínicos, epidemiológicos y microbiológicos.

BACKGROUND: Erythrasma is a superficial infection caused by Corynebacterium minutissimum and affects the major skin folds and the interdigital regions of the feet. It is characterized by erythematous, brown, scaly patches and maceration, and exhibits coral-red fluorescence under Wood light. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of erythrasma in patients with interdigital lesions. METHODS: An open, prospective, longitudinal, observational study was performed in a hospital in Mexico City between March and December, 2006. All patients with interdigital lesions were examined with a Wood lamp and direct examination was performed with 20 % potassium hydroxide. Cultures were done in Sabouraud dextrose agar and brain heart infusion agar, and smears were analyzed. General characteristics and concomitant diseases were recorded. RESULTS: We examined 73 patients, of whom 24 (32.8 %) were diagnosed with erythrasma based on coral-red fluorescence under Wood light and identification of corynebacteria by Gram staining. The disease was more common in women (83.33 %) and the mean age of the patients was 43.5 years. The main clinical findings were scaling and maceration, and the fourth interdigital web was the most commonly affected. Corynebacterium could not be isolated in any of the cases. Mycology was positive in 15 cases (62.5 %) and the following microorganisms were isolated: Candida (16.6 %), dermatophytes (12.5 %), and Trichosporon (4.1 %). CONCLUSIONS: Interdigital erythrasma is a common condition and can be easily confused with interdigital tinea. It persists if not treated appropriately. Rapid diagnosis is easily obtained by examination with a Wood lamp, while culture is difficult and unnecessary for diagnosis. The coexistence of erythrasma with dermatophytes and Candida should be considered when the interdigital webs are affected.

Tinea pedis and erythrasma in Danish recruits. Clinical signs, prevalence, incidence, and correlation to atopy.

Prior to military service, 665 recruits were examined clinically and microbiologically for tinea pedis and erythrasma and 546 of these were reexamined at the end of military service. The prevalence of clinical signs, erythrasma, and dermatophyte infection at the first investigation was 58.8%, 51.3%, and 6.2%, respectively, and at the second investigation, 81.1%, 77.1%, and 7.0%, respectively. The incidence of tinea pedis was 4.2% during the 9 months of military service. Of those infected at the first visit 41% had persistent infection mainly due to Trichophyton rubrum, whereas new infections were largely caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Some of those persistently infected had signs of chronicity at the follow-up visit, indicating that chronic dermatophytosis may become established in the early twenties. The prevalence of atopy was 15.0% in all the recruits but was almost 50% in those with persistent tinea pedis.

Eritrasma, revisión / Erythrasma, review

El eritrasma es una infección superficial de la piel que afecta la capa córnea y es causado por una bacteria grampositiva, Corynebacterium minutissimum. Se presenta como manchas eritematosas a marrón en grandes pliegues y como descamación y maceración en pliegues interdigitales; es asintomática, aunque en algunos casos se acompaña de prurito. El diagnóstico es clínico por luz de Wood que da una fluorescencia rojo coral de las áreas afectadas. Su curso es benigno, aunque persiste si no se da un tratamiento adecuado.

Erythrasma is a superficial skin infection of the stratum corneum caused by a gram-positive bacteria, Corynebacterium minutissimum. It is characterized by reddish-brown areas affecting occluded intertriginous zones such as axillae, inframammary folds, and as irregular scaly patches or macerated lesions on toeweb spaces. It is asymptomatic, though sometimes accompanied by pruritus. Clinical diagnosis is supported by a red fluorescence under Wood s light examination. It is benign, yet persistent if not adequately treated.