Athlete's Foot (Tenia Pedis)
Athlete's
foot is caused by a fungal infection of the skin on the foot. The
majority of these infections are caused by one of three fungal agents
called dermatophytes. Athlete's foot is by far the most common fungal
infection of the skin. The infection can be either acute or chronic.
The recurrent form of the disease is often associated with fungal-infected toenails.
The acute form of the infection most often presents with moist, scaling
between the toes with occasional small blisters and/or fissures. As the
blistering breaks, the infection spreads and can involve large areas of
the skin on the foot. The burning and itching that accompany the
blisters may cause great discomfort that can be relieved by opening and
draining the blisters or applying cool water compresses. The infection
can also occur as isolated circular lesions on the bottom or top of the
foot. As the skin breaks down from the fungal infection, a secondary
bacterial infection can ensue. Diagnosis The
diagnosis of tenia pedis is generally made based upon the clinical
presentation. A definitive diagnosis is made by taking a scraping of
the skin and culturing it. It may take up to three weeks for the
culture to grow the fungus. In some instances the culture may present a
false negative result because the skin scraping was inadequate. Some
doctors may perform a KOH prep of a skin scraping. This is examined
under a microscope and may reveal elements that can make the diagnosis. Treatment
Treatment should be directed at controlling the fungal infection and
treating any secondary bacterial infection with oral antibiotics.
Soaking the feet in Epsom salts and warm water is helpful. Wearing
sandals to reduce moisture accumulation and heat generated by closed
shoes will also help in the control and spread of the infection. Other
conditions that mimic acute athlete's foot are contact dermatitis and pustular psoriasis. The
chronic form of athletes foot is a relatively noninflamatory type of
infection. It is characterized by a dull redness to the skin and
pronounced scaling. It may involve the entire bottom of the foot giving
a "moccasin" appearance. It generally does not itch or result in the
formation of blisters. This form of the disease frequently has an
associated fungal infection of the toenails.
There are good topical and oral medications available for the treatment
of this condition. There are some less common causes of dry scaling skin on the feet.
Back to Top
|