Abstract

Background: Trichomycosis axillaris and pubis is a bacterial infection of the hair shaft. It is characterized by nodular thickening on the hair shaft, composed of colonies of aerobic Corynebacterium. Benzoyl peroxide and erythromycin topical application can be used successfully.

Objective: We performed this study to compare treatment efficacy of benzoyl peroxide and erythromycin in trichomycosis axillaris and pubis.

Method: The clinical study was made with 12 patients of trichomycosis axillaris and pubis.

Result: Among 12 patients, 6 patients were treated by benzoyl peroxide topical application and the other by erythromycin.

1) All the affected patients were male, and mean age of onset was 31 years old.

2) Simultaneous involvement of axillae and pubis was found in 9 cases, and involvement of axillae only in 3 cases.

3) There was no statistically significant difference in the treatment efficacy between benzoyl peroxide and erythromycin (p>0.05).

4) Infected hair shafts were removed by shaving in 7 cases. But shaving itself did not shorten the period for complete cure (p>0.05).

5) Mean disease duration was 6.7 months and mean period for complete cure was 3.1 weeks. And there was no significant relation between disease duration and mean period for complete cure.

6) Only 1 case (8.3%) showed recurrence within 6 month-follow up, in which erythromycin topical application without shaving was used.

7) Among 12 cases, irritation and contact dermatitis were observed in 5 cases (41.7%). And these were all related with benzoyl peroxide application.

Conclusion: Benzoyl peroxide is as effective as erythromycin in the treatment of trichomycosis axillaris and pubis. But, benzoyl peroxide have more side effect. Shaving itself is not necessag to treat trichomycosis.

Keywords

Trichomycosis Benzoyl peroxide Erythromycin

KJMM 2005 June;10(2):70-75(6). Epub 2016 February 20
Copyright © 2005 by Korean Journal of Medical Mycology

Language

Korean/English

Author

Beom Joon Kim; Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Chong Won Choi; Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Chong Hyun Won; Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Chang Hun Huh; Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Myeung Nam Kim; Department of Dermatology, Chung Ang Univerisity College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Byung In Ro; Department of Dermatology, Chung Ang Univerisity College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Corresponding

Byung In Ro, Department of Dermatology, Chung Ang Univerisity College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. Tel: (02) 748-9573, Fax: (02) 6359-9573, e-mail: drro2@hanafos.com

Publication history

Acknowledgements

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Beom Joon Kim

Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Chong Won Choi

Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Chong Hyun Won

Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Chang Hun Huh

Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Myeung Nam Kim

Department of Dermatology, Chung Ang Univerisity College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Byung In Ro

Department of Dermatology, Chung Ang Univerisity College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Since epub date 2016 February 20