Ultrastructural Alterations in the Epidermis of Patients with Tinea Pedis

Tinea pedis (athlete’s foot) is the most common superfi cial fungal infection of the foot. Studies conducted worldwide and in Turkey have shown that superfi cial fungal infections are among the most common skin diseases (1-4). Some of the fungi in nature are known to be pathogenic in humans and animals. These microorganisms do not exist in the deep tissues of the human body but tend to be localized in the epidermis and cause infections in superfi cial keratinized tissues such as skin, hair and nail (5-7). Feet carry body weight and are exposed to various environmental effects. Fungal infection of the feet (tinea pedis) is a health problem caused by poor foot hygiene (3, 7, 8). Even though these types of dermatophyte infections do not cause very serious complications, they can adversely affect daily activities, social lives and esthetic appearance and can even require medical intervention (9, 10). They may lead to secondary infections and disorders like cellulitis, erysipelas, lymphangitis, asthma, urticaria and atopic dermatitis, which can cause serious problems as they progress (11-14). Clinically, tinea pedis is characterized by maceration, slight desquamation, erythema and sometimes vesicles and fi ssures between toes. These characteristics were examined in many studies histopathologically or using other techniques (2-4, 11, 15). In our study, the structure of the epidermis between toes of patients diagnosed with tinea pedis was evaluated ultrastructurally.