title: Interdigital foot infections: Corynebacterium minutissimum and agents of superficial mycoses.
abstract: Interdigital foot infections are mostly caused initially by dermatophytes, yeasts and less frequently by bacteria. Erythrasma caused by Corynebacterium minutissimum can be confused with superficial mycoses. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of the etiologic agents of superficial mycoses and the frequency of Corynebacterium minutissimum in interdigital foot infections. All the samples obtained from the 121 patients with interdigital foot infections were examined directly with the use of 20% potassium hydroxide mounts and Gram stain under the microscope and cultured on Sabouraud's dextrose agar plates. In identification of superficial mycoses, the rate was found to be 14% with the cultural method and 14% with direct microscopic examination. Using a combination of direct microscopic examination and culture, a 33.8% ratio was achieved. In the culture of these samples, the most isolated factor was Trichophyton rubrum (33.7%). In 24 of the patients (19.8%) Corynebacterium minutissimum was detected by Gram staining, in 6 of these patients Trichophyton rubrum was found, Trichophyton mentagrophytes was found in 2 and Trichosporon spp. was found in 1. The examination of interdigital foot lesions in the laboratory, the coexistence of erythrasma with dermatophytes and yeast should be considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology Kayseri Education and Research Hospital Kayseri Turkey Department of Microbiology, Kayseri Education and Research Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatma Mutlu
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Sariguzel
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology Erciyes University Medical School Kayseri Turkey Department of Microbiology, Erciyes University Medical School, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: A Nedret
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Koc
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology Kayseri Education and Research Hospital Kayseri Turkey Department of Microbiology, Kayseri Education and Research Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gülhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yagmur
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology Kayseri Education and Research Hospital Kayseri Turkey Department of Microbiology, Kayseri Education and Research Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Elife
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Berk
mesh_terms: D003883:Arthrodermataceae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003352:Corynebacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003881:Dermatomycoses / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004894:Erythrasma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005534:Foot Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008828:Microbiological Techniques; D015995:Prevalence
keywords: Corynebacterium minutissimum; dermatophytosis; interdigital foot infections; superficial mycoses; yeast