This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

The Interaction of Dermatophytes and Resident Bacteria

James J. Leyden, MD; Albert M. Kligman, MD, PhD

Arch Dermatol. 1978;114(10):1466-1472.

Abstract
• Quantitative cultures in 140 cases of interdigital "athlete's foot" established the following clinical-microbiological correlations. In 39 cases of mild, scaling, relatively asymptomatic variety, fungi were recovered in 84% of cases. As the disease progressed to maceration, hyperkeratosis, and increased symptoms, recovery of fungi fell to 55% in moderately symptomatic and to 36% in severe cases. Symptomatic cases had increasing numbers of resident aerobic organisms, particularly large colony diphtheroids, Experimental manipulations of the interspace microflora in volunteers, monitored with quantitative cultures, demonstrated that symptomatic, macerated, hyperkeratotic process results from an overgrowth of resident organisms if the stratum corneum barrier is damaged by preexisting fungi, while overgrowth of the same organisms in normal, fungus-free interspaces does not produce lesions. These experiments support the conclusion that athlete's foot represents a continuum from a relatively asymptomatic, scaling eruption produced by fungi to a symptomatic, macerated, hyperkeratotic variety that is caused by an overgrowth of bacteria.

(Arch Dermatol 114:1466-1472, 1978)

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Dermatology, Duhring Laboratories, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication May 31, 1978.

Reprints not available.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

The Incidence of Tinea Pedis in Diabetic versus Nondiabetic Patients with Interdigital Macerations: A Prospective Study
Legge et al.
J. Am. Podiatr. Med. Assoc. 2008;98:353-356.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Molecular Typing of Beta-Hemolytic Streptococci from Two Patients with Lower-Limb Cellulitis: Identical Isolates from Toe Web and Blood Specimens
Hilmarsdottir and Valsdottir
J. Clin. Microbiol. 2007;45:3131-3132.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Growth Inhibition of Trichophyton Species by Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Treat et al.
Arch Dermatol 2007;143:61-64.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

CLINICAL CORRELATES OF FILARIAL INFECTION IN HAITIAN CHILDREN: AN ASSOCIATION WITH INTERDIGITAL LESIONS
FOX et al.
Am J Trop Med Hyg 2005;73:759-765.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Albert Kligman--Master of Dermatology
Leyden
Arch Dermatol 1991;127:1392-1393.
ABSTRACT  

Pitted Keratolysis: The Role of Micrococcus sedentarius
Nordstrom et al.
Arch Dermatol 1987;123:1320-1325.
ABSTRACT  

Single-Site Infection With Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Herpes Simplex Virus
Secher and Svejgaard
Arch Dermatol 1984;120:122-122.
ABSTRACT  

Commentary: Undecylenic Acid and Fungous Infections
Landau
Arch Dermatol 1983;119:351-353.
ABSTRACT