title: Etiology of toe-web disease in Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates: bacteriological and mycological studies.
abstract: We examined and sampled 45 patients with toe-web intertrigo for bacteriological and mycological studies. Prominent isolated pathogens were the genus Candida (57.7%), genus Aspergillus (28.8%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (26.7%) and coliforms (24.4%). Dermatophytes scored 4.4% (Trichophyton rubrum). There were 43 patents (95.5%) who presented with marked hyperkeratosis and maceration of the toe-webs involved. The tradition of the Emirati population of sitting cross-legged may, over time, induce in the toe-webs of overweight individuals a macerated pressure-reaction hyperkeratosis that is colonized by environmental germs. T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes are uncommon in the Al-Ain environment and this may explain the rarity of dermatophytes in toe-web intertrigo in our study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Tawam University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Lestringant
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Saarinen
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Frossard
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bener
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ameen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007402:Intertrigo / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D007514:Islam; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D011187:Posture; D015995:Prevalence; D012067:Religion; D012307:Risk Factors; D014008:Tinea Pedis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D014034:Toes; D014479:United Arab Emirates / Q000453:epidemiology