eMedicine Specialties > Dermatology > Bacterial Infections

Erythrasma: Follow-up

Author: Abdul-Ghani Kibbi, MD, Chairman and Professor, Department of Dermatology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Lebanon
Coauthor(s): Ruba Faik Bahhady, MD, Resident Physician, Department of Dermatology, American University of Beirut Medical Center; Zenus Saleh, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Dermatology, American University of Beirut Medical Center; Fady G Haddad, MD, Consulting Staff, Division of Dermatology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Dubai Healthcare City
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Aug 11, 2009

Follow-up

Complications

  • Fatal septicemia in immunocompromised patients with erythrasma
  • Infective endocarditis in valvular heart disease patients with erythrasma
  • Postsurgical wound infection in erythrasma patients

Prognosis

  • The prognosis for erythrasma is excellent; however, the condition tends to recur if the predisposing factors are not eliminated.

Patient Education

  • Patients with erythrasma should be instructed to keep the area dry.

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • Failure to consider diabetes in patients with recurrent erythrasma
  • Failure to investigate for other coexistent infections

Special Concerns

  • Immunosuppressed patients with erythrasma and the risk of complications are of special concern.
  • Evaluate and treat possible concomitant infection.
  • Suspect diabetes in recurrent erythrasma.
  • Address and modify risk factors for successful treatment.
 


More on Erythrasma

Overview: Erythrasma
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Erythrasma
Treatment & Medication: Erythrasma
Follow-up: Erythrasma
Multimedia: Erythrasma
References
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References

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Further Reading

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Keywords

erythrasma, Corynebacterium minutissimum, C minutissimum, Corynebacterium afermentans, C afermentans

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Abdul-Ghani Kibbi, MD, Chairman and Professor, Department of Dermatology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Lebanon
Disclosure: none None None

Coauthor(s)

Ruba Faik Bahhady, MD, Resident Physician, Department of Dermatology, American University of Beirut Medical Center
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Zenus Saleh, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Dermatology, American University of Beirut Medical Center
Zenus Saleh, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Fady G Haddad, MD, Consulting Staff, Division of Dermatology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Dubai Healthcare City
Fady G Haddad, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Robin Travers, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine (Dermatology), Dartmouth University School of Medicine; Staff Dermatologist, New England Baptist Hospital; Private Practice, SkinCare Physicians
Robin Travers, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, American Medical Informatics Association, Massachusetts Medical Society, Medical Dermatology Society, and Women's Dermatologic Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Richard P Vinson, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Dermatology, Texas Tech University School of Medicine; Consulting Staff, Mountain View Dermatology, PA
Richard P Vinson, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, Association of Military Dermatologists, Texas Dermatological Society, and Texas Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Jeffrey Meffert, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology, University of Texas Health Science Center-San Antonio
Jeffrey Meffert, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, American Medical Association, Association of Military Dermatologists, and Texas Dermatological Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Catherine Quirk, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Brown University
Catherine Quirk, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha and American Academy of Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Dirk M Elston, MD, Director, Department of Dermatology, Geisinger Medical Center
Dirk M Elston, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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