[Treatment of dermatoses : Significance and use of glucocorticoids in fixed combination with antifungals]

Treating eczema with fungal and/or bacterial superinfections or superficial mycoses are a common problem in daily practice. A fungal superinfection as a consequence of a diminished skin barrier might complicate the course of eczema. In addition, in an inflammatory superficial mycotic infection a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction may result in healing of the lesion, but might also be responsible for irreversible damage of epidermal structures. An example is permanent hair loss by scarring alopecia in the context of inflammatory tinea capitis. In both cases, combination of an antifungal and a glucocorticoid is appropriate in therapy, preferentially in topical application. The use of azole antimycotics is especially helpful, as they are also effective against gram-positive bacteria.