Introduction

• Inflammatory dermatitis of the interdigital spaces.
• This is not a specific diagnosis since many underlying diseases can cause this dermatitis.

Pathogenesis

Etiology

• Numerous diseases can cause interdigital dermatitis. They include but are not limited to:
  • Atopic dermatitis Skin: atopy.
  • Food allergy Skin: food hypersensitivity.
  • Contact dermatitis Skin: allergic contact dermatitis Skin: irritant contact dermatitis.
  • Bacterial pododermatitis Skin: pododermatitis and furunculosis (Staphylococcal,Nocardia, atypical Mycobacteria).
  • Fungal (Malassezia dermatitis Skin: malassezia disease , sporotrichosis, dermatophytosis - especially rodent borne species, such asTrichophyton mentagrophytes Trichophyton spp and geophilic dermatophytes, such asM. gypseum).
  • Demodicosis Skin: demodectic mange.
  • Autoimmune disease Skin: immunological disease - overview (especially pemphigus foliaceous Skin: pemphigus foliaceus , which can also cause paronychia Paronychia and hyperkeratosis of the footpads Skin: familial footpad hyperkeratosis ).
  • Metabolic (paraneoplastic dermatoses).
  • Neoplastic, eg cutaneous lymphoma Skin: epitheliotropic lymphoma.
    
    Staphylococcal andMalasseziapododermatitis is almost always secondary to an underlying cause, especially allergic dermatoses.

Predisposing factors

• Trauma.
• Immunosuppression.
• Underlying allergic disease.

Pathophysiology

• Most cases present with secondary bacterial and yeast infections regardless of the underlying disease.
• The infections are caused by the local immunesuppression caused by the skin inflammation, and increased humidity, compromised barrier function and spread of mucosal organisms associated with licking.

Timecourse

• It depends on the underlying disease.

Diagnosis

Treatment

Prevention

Outcomes