Yeast Infection Of The Skin (Cutaneous Candidiasis)
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[edit] Yeast Infection Of The Skin ( Cutaneous Candidiasis)
"Cutaneous candidiasis" is the term that your doctor would be using for a yeast infaction of the skin. With this condition moist skin has led to the loss of the natural skin barrier. Candida albicans, the yeast bug, is a normal component of the skin flora. When the skin is breaking down and secretions feed the Candida yeast bugs, it changes characteristics and becomes invasive. It establishes itself in the moist skin surface as the dominant compnent of the flora and contributes to further breakdown of the skin, making conditions for the host worse and for the yeast bug better. Eventually it presents with inflamed areas that are surrounded by red dots (satellite lesions). Such infections occur predominantly in the "intertriginous" areas such as in the axilla, skin below the breasts (inframammary skin), the groin, the buttock folds (diaper rash), the umbilicus, between the toes and in the skin of the finger webs.
Like in all Candida infections these conditions are more likely to occur in diabetics (more sugar in the tissues to feed the yeast bugs), with the use of antibiotics, immunosuppressive therapy, in pregnancy, in obesity, and in people with weakened immune systems from leukemia or other conditions. The common denominator is a change of the skin flora from systemic antibiotics (which selects for yeast bugs), hormone changes (pregnancy, diabetes) or a weakened immune system (leukemia).
Treatment:
Nystatin (brand names: Candistatin, Mycostatin, Nadostatin, Nilstat, Nyaderm ) are usually
prescribed first and this topical cream or ointment is applied three to four times daily to the affected area. It takes two to three days to establish a response which will be apparent by the redness becoming more pink color, the itchiness subsiding and no new lesions occurring. Alternatives, if nystatin does not work are clotrimazole and ciclopirox. Clotrimazole is known under the brand names: Canesten, Clotrimaderm, Scheinpharm Clotrimazole. Ciclopirox is known under the brand name: Loprox (Ref. 2, p. 805).
| Infections overview | Yeast infections | Fungal infections |
References:
1.The Merck Manual, 7th edition, by M. H. Beer s et al., Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999. Chapter 158.
2.The Merck Manual, 7th edition, by M. H. Beers et al., Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999. Chapter 113.
3. The Merck Manual, 7th edition, by M. H. Beers et al., Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999. Chapter 164.
4.David Heymann, MD, Editor: Control of Communicable Diseases Manual, 18th Edition, 2004, American Public Health Association.
