Etiology of toe-web disease in Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates: bacteriological and mycological studies

Abstract

We examined and sampled 45 patients with toe-web intertrigo for bacteriological and mycological studies. Prominent isolated pathogens were the genus Candida [‎57.7%]‎, genus Aspergillus [‎28.8%]‎, Pseudomonas aeruginosa [‎26.7%]‎ and coliforms [‎24.4%]‎. Dermatophytes scored 4.4% [‎Trichophyton rubrum]‎. There were 43 patents [‎95.5%]‎ who presented with marked hyperkeratosis and maceration of the toe-webs involved. The tradition of the Emirati population of sitting cross-legged may, over time, induce in the toe-webs of overweight individuals a macerated pressure-reaction hyperkeratosis that is colonized by environmental germs. T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes are uncommon in the Al-Ain environment and this may explain the rarity of dermatophytes in toe-web intertrigo in our study