Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and Staphylococcus aureus colonization.
BACKGROUND
Bacterial infections are a common complication of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). The most common pathogen of cutaneous infections in CTCL patients is Staphylococcus aureus.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess S aureus colonization rates among CTCL subjects compared to control subjects.


METHODS
Fifty subjects with CTCL, 25 psoriasis control subjects, and 25 healthy control subjects were included in this study. Culture swabs were obtained from nares and lesional skin or normal skin in the healthy controls.


RESULTS
S aureus colonization rates were 44% in CTCL subjects, 48% in psoriasis subjects, and 28% in healthy control subjects (P = .29).


CONCLUSIONS
The sample size was small, and the exclusion criteria resulted in an underestimation of the colonization rate.


CONCLUSIONS
There was a trend for higher methicillin-sensitive S aureus colonization in the CTCL group compared with healthy control subjects. S aureus colonization may be directly related to body surface area of CTCL.
Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
Victoria
V
Nguyen
Richard H
RH
Huggins
Terakeith
T
Lertsburapa
Kimberly
K
Bauer
Alfred
A
Rademaker
Pedram
P
Gerami
Joan
J
Guitart
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016410:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000382:microbiology; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D013207:Staphylococcal Skin Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus