Frequency of culture-proven dermatophyte infection in patients with suspected tinea pedis.
BACKGROUND
This study examined the incidence of culture-proven tinea pedis in patients who presented with a foot rash clinically suspected to be tinea pedis.


METHODS
Cultures were taken from 874 patients in 4 dermatology clinics across the country. The incidence of patients with positively cultured tinea pedis was compared with the total number of patients in the study.


RESULTS
The surprisingly low percentage of patients correctly diagnosed with tinea pedis was determined to be 32%. The remaining 68% of patients either had a nonfungal foot dermatitis or tinea pedis with false-negative cultures.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates the need for fungal cultures when patients present with scaling feet as well as the importance of a broad differential diagnosis to ensure timely and appropriate therapy.
Fuchs
Aaron
A
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA. aef22@cornell.edu
Fiedler
Jodi
J
Lebwohl
Mark
M
Sapadin
Allen
A
Rudikoff
Donald
D
Lefkovits
Albert
A
Schultz
Neal
N
Khorenian
Sylvie
S
Kakita
Lenore
L
D003883:Arthrodermataceae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004821:Epidermophyton / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014008:Tinea Pedis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D014249:Trichophyton / Q000302:isolation & purification