Clinical, Bacteriological and Immunological Profile of 20 Patients with Dermatitis Cruris Pustulosa Et Atrophicans

This study was carried out to determine whether an abnormality in polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN) function and/or a deficiency in immunoglobulins (IgG and IgM) and complement (C4 and C3) could be the underlying cause of chronicity in DCPA. Twenty adult males were studied. Penicillin resistant coagulase positive S. Aureus was isolated from the pus samples of all the patients. AU the strains were susceptible to chloramphenicol, cotrimoxazole anderythromycin. Patch and usage tests done with coconut and mustard oil were negative. The total and differential leucocyte counts in all the patients were within normal limits. In vitro PMN functions were estimated by measuring percentage phagocytosis and intra cellular killing capacity (ICK) using S. aureus as the test organism. Both these parameters were significantly raised before treatment (p.001) and returned to normal after treatment. Immunolobulin levels did not rise above normal which may suggest a depressed response to bacterial infection. Complement (C3) levels were significantly lower (p) than the controls.