Nonfluorescent erythrasma of the vulva.
BACKGROUND
Erythrasma is an uncommon vulvar infection, best diagnosed by its fluorescence under the Wood lamp. This report shows that despite a negative Wood lamp examination, the diagnosis can be made histologically.


METHODS
A 42-year-old woman was referred to our clinic with a persistent candidal infection. Evaluation included a Wood lamp examination, wet mount, and potassium hydroxide test of the affected skin, all of which were negative. A biopsy of the area demonstrated rods and filamentous organisms in the keratotic layer consistent with a Corynebacterium minutissimum infection. The patient was diagnosed as having erythrasma, and she responded to oral erythromycin.


CONCLUSIONS
Persistent vulvar diseases may be caused by erythrasma despite a negative Wood lamp examination. The diagnosis can be made by biopsy of the lesion.
Mattox
T F
TF
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Harbor/UCLA Medical Center, UCLA School of Medicine.
Rutgers
J
J
Yoshimori
R N
RN
Bhatia
N N
NN
D000328:Adult; D003352:Corynebacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004894:Erythrasma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005453:Fluorescence; D006801:Humans; D014844:Vulva / Q000473:pathology; D014845:Vulvar Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*