Erythrasma is a long-term bacterial infection that usually appears in the area between overlapping skin (skin folds).
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
Erythrasma is caused by Corynebacterium minutissimum. The typical appearance is a reddish-brown slightly scaly patch with sharp borders. The lesions occur in moist areas such as the groin, armpit, and skin folds, and may itch slightly.
Erythrasma is more common in warm climates and among those who are overweight or have diabetes.
Symptoms:
The main symptoms are reddish-brown, slightly scaly patches with sharp borders. The patches occur in moist areas such as the groin, armpit, and skin folds. They may itch slightly and often look like patches associated with other fungal infections, such as ringworm.
Signs and tests:
Wood's lamp test (when examined under this ultraviolet light, the lesions glow a coral-red color)
Culture of scrapings from the lesion
Review Date: 10/23/2006
Reviewed By: Kevin Berman, MD, PhD, Associate, Atlanta Center for Dermatologic Disease, Atlanta, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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General Dermatology
