title: The role of surgery in the management of uncommon skin infections.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some infections do not respond readily to antibiotic therapy. In particular, fungi and mycobacteria often require prolonged treatment, which is expensive and prone to adverse effects.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of surgery in the treatment of skin infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Infections caused by atypical mycobacteria, certain fungi, and those involving joints often respond well to surgical treatments. In several situations excision produces a higher cure rate than antibiotic treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Excision, drainage, or debridement has been shown to be superior to drug therapy in several infections and a reasonable alternative in others.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19107, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Glorioso
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Webster
mesh_terms: D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000601:surgery; D002862:Chromoblastomycosis / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000601:surgery; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000601:surgery; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000601:surgery; D011525:Prototheca; D012874:Skin Diseases, Infectious / Q000601:surgery*; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000601:surgery; D013174:Sporotrichosis / Q000601:surgery