Definition:
A skin condition affecting the soles of the feet and, less commonly, the palm of the hands is called pitted keratolysis, which is caused by a bacterial infection of the skin and may give off an unpleasant odor.
Treatment:
As treatment for pitted keratolysis, a physician may try prescription-strength antiperspirant containing aluminum chloride, prescription antibiotic lotions such as clindamycin, erythromycin or muirocin, antifungal cream such as miconazole or clotrimazole, prescription oral antibiotics such as erythromycin and injections of botulinum toxin (in severe cases).
The skin lesions and odor of pitted keratolysis usually appear within 4 weeks upon combining some of the treatments.
Symptoms and Signs:
Pressure-bearing sites on the soles of the feet, especially the heels, palms of the hands and non-pressure bearing sites on the soles of the feet are the most common locations for pitted keratolysis. The condition appears as white patches studded with small (0.5-5mm), shallow pits in the superficial skin in these areas. These pits can sometimes join together (coalese) to form larger, crater-like lesions that may occasionally be painful or itchy.
Causes:
Pitted keratolysis is a condition caused by having sweaty feet, together with C. minutissimum and other bacteria which is characterized by malodour and pitting of the thick skin on the soles of the feet and might be misdiagnosed as a fungal infection sometimes.
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