Erythrasma is a skin

Skin

-Dermis:The dermis is the layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis by a basement membrane. It also harbors many Mechanoreceptors that provide the sense of touch and heat...

 disease that causes brown, scaly skin patches. It is caused by the gram positive bacterium Corynebacterium minutissimum

Corynebacterium minutissimum

Corynebacterium minutissimum is a species of corynebacterium.It is associated with erythrasma, a type of skin rash. It can be distinguished from similar-appearing rashes by exposing the area to the light of a Wood's lamp; C. minutissimum produces porphyrins that fluoresce coral-red....

.

It is prevalent among diabetics, the obese, and in warm climates and is worsened by wearing occlusive clothing.

Course

The patches of erythrasma are initially pink, but progress quickly to become brown and scaly (as skin starts to shed).

Signs and Symptoms

Erythrasma presents with fine, brown scaling patches which are classically sharply demarcated. Erythrasmic patches are typically found in intertriginous

Intertriginous

Intertriginous is a medical term used to define an area where two skin areas may touch or rub together. Examples of intertriginous areas are the axilla of the arm, the anogenital region, nares, skin folds of the breasts, and between digits...

 areas (skin fold areas - e.g. armpit, groin, under breast) - with the toe web-spaces being most commonly involved.

The patient is commonly otherwise asymptomatic.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis can be made on the clinical picture alone.

However, a simple side-room investigation with a Wood's lamp is additionally useful in diagnosing erythrasma. The ultraviolet

Ultraviolet

Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV...

 light of a Wood's lamp causes the organism to fluoresce a coral red color, differentiating it from fungal infections and other skin conditions.

Treatment

Erythrasma is treated with

• topical
  Topical
  In medicine, a topical medication is applied to body surfaces such as the skin or mucous membranes such as the vagina, anus, throat, eyes and ears.Many topical medications are epicutaneous, meaning that they are applied directly to the skin...
  
   fusidic acid
  Fusidic acid
  Fusidic acid is a bacteriostatic antibiotic that is often used topically in creams and eyedrops, but may also be given systemically as tablets or injections...
  
  
• topical
  Topical
  In medicine, a topical medication is applied to body surfaces such as the skin or mucous membranes such as the vagina, anus, throat, eyes and ears.Many topical medications are epicutaneous, meaning that they are applied directly to the skin...
  
   imidazoles
• (systemic) macrolides (erythromycin
  Erythromycin
  Erythromycin is a macrolide antibiotic that has an antimicrobial spectrum similar to or slightly wider than that of penicillin, and is often used for people who have an allergy to penicillins. For respiratory tract infections, it has better coverage of atypical organisms, including mycoplasma and...
  
   or azithromycin
  Azithromycin
  Azithromycin is an azalide, a subclass of macrolide antibiotics. Azithromycin is one of the world's best-selling antibiotics...
  
  )

External links

• eMedicine
• Family Practice Notebook
• Photo at University of Iowa
  University of Iowa
  The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...