AFSS: athlete's foot severity score. A proposal and validation.

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Mycology
• Clinical Assessment Tools

Background:

• Tinea pedis, commonly known as Athlete's foot, is a prevalent fungal infection.
• Accurate assessment of tinea pedis severity is crucial for effective treatment and management, particularly in demanding environments like military settings.
• Existing methods for severity evaluation may lack simplicity or direct clinical applicability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a simple scoring system, the Athlete's foot severity score (AFSS), for evaluating tinea pedis severity.
• To assess the clinical utility and validity of the AFSS in a military population.

Main Methods:

• Development of the Athlete's foot severity score (AFSS) based on clinical evaluation of erythema, scaling, and involved interdigital spaces.
• Validation study involving 224 soldiers from the Israel Defense Force.
• Comparison of AFSS scores with mycological culture results (primary outcome) and pruritus assessment (secondary outcome).

Main Results:

• The AFSS demonstrated significant association with positive mycological culture results (P<0.0001).
• The AFSS was also significantly correlated with the presence of pruritus (P=0.002) and pruritus scores (P=0.025).
• The scoring system proved effective in differentiating severity levels within the studied cohort.

Conclusions:

• The Athlete's foot severity score (AFSS) is a valid and reliable tool for assessing tinea pedis severity in military personnel.
• The AFSS offers a practical approach for clinical evaluation in resource-limited or field settings.
• Further research is recommended to explore the AFSS's applicability to civilian populations and diverse clinical scenarios.