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[Swimmer's eczema: intertrigo, erythrasma or a yeast or fungus infection?]
C C Staats1, B J Vermeer, M J Korstanje
1Academisch Ziekenhuis, afd. Dermatologie, Leiden.
Objective:
To determine the proportional contributions of tinea pedis, intertrigo, erythrasma and Candida to 'swimmer's eczema.'
Design:
Descriptive.
Setting:
Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Leiden, the Netherlands.
Method:
General practitioners were encouraged to refer every patient with clinical signs of foot mycosis. Mycological tests (culture and microscopy) were performed.
Results:
A total of 296 patients with interdigital mycosis and 30 with tinea pedis of the moccasin type were included. In 56% of the patients with swimmer's eczema dermatophytes were recognised, 10% showed erythrasma and in 30% no cause could be found. Candida only played a minor role. Trichophyton mentagrophytes was found more often in swimmer's eczema than in tinea pedis of the moccasin type.
Conclusion:
Swimmer's eczema has several causes, which can be determined with mycological tests. Microscopy is the most sensitive method in regard to demonstrating dermatophytes and erythrasma.