title: Frequency of culture-proven dermatophyte infection in patients with suspected tinea pedis.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA. aef22@cornell.edu
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Jodi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fiedler
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lebwohl
authors.forename: Allen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sapadin
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rudikoff
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lefkovits
authors.forename: Neal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khorenian
authors.forename: Lenore
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kakita
mesh_terms: 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