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Cutaneous diphtheria

MedGen UID:
41599
•Concept ID:
C0012555
•
Disease or Syndrome
Synonyms: Cutaneous Diphtheria; cutaneous diphtheria
SNOMED CT: Cutaneous diphtheria (18901009)
 
Monarch Initiative: MONDO:0001479

Definition

A usually mild form of diphtheria characterized by infection of the skin by corynebacterium diphtheria and the resulting formation of a chronic, shallow ulcer that is sometimes bordered or followed by a bulla. [from NCI]

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • CROGVCutaneous diphtheria

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Cases of cutaneous diphtheria in New Zealand: implications for surveillance and management.
Sears A, McLean M, Hingston D, Eddie B, Short P, Jones M
N Z Med J 2012 Feb 24;125(1350):64-71. PMID: 22382258

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Dermatologic conditions and risk factors in people experiencing homelessness (PEH): systematic review.
Henry T, Khachemoune A
Arch Dermatol Res 2023 Dec;315(10):2795-2803. Epub 2023 Oct 13 doi: 10.1007/s00403-023-02722-2. PMID: 37833427
Australian vaccine preventable disease epidemiological review series: diphtheria 1999-2019.
Winkler NE, Dey A, Quinn HE, Pourmarzi D, Lambert S, McIntyre P, Beard F
Commun Dis Intell (2018) 2022 Jul 21;46 doi: 10.33321/cdi.2022.46.42. PMID: 35860872
Diphtheria Immunity in Australia: Should we be Concerned?
Lu X, Quinn HE, Menzies RI, Hueston L, Gilbert L, McIntyre PB
Infect Disord Drug Targets 2020;20(3):323-329. doi: 10.2174/1871526518666181011114834. PMID: 30318004
Imported tropical infectious ulcers in travelers.
Zeegelaar JE, Faber WR
Am J Clin Dermatol 2008;9(4):219-32. doi: 10.2165/00128071-200809040-00002. PMID: 18572973
Unusual infectious complications of dermatologic procedures.
Garman ME, Orengo I
Dermatol Clin 2003 Apr;21(2):321-35. doi: 10.1016/s0733-8635(02)00097-9. PMID: 12757255

Diagnosis

Toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae-Associated Genital Ulceration.
Fuchs F, Markert D, Wagner IV, Liebau MC, Berger A, Dangel A, Sing A, Fabri M, Plum G
Emerg Infect Dis 2020 Sep;26(9):2180-2181. doi: 10.3201/eid2609.180830. PMID: 32818407Free PMC Article
Cutaneous Diphtheria.
Wilson IE, Menson EN
N Engl J Med 2018 Mar 29;378(13):e17. doi: 10.1056/NEJMicm1701825. PMID: 29590546
Corynebacterium ulcerans cutaneous diphtheria.
Moore LSP, Leslie A, Meltzer M, Sandison A, Efstratiou A, Sriskandan S
Lancet Infect Dis 2015 Sep;15(9):1100-1107. Epub 2015 Jul 16 doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(15)00225-X. PMID: 26189434
Imported tropical infectious ulcers in travelers.
Zeegelaar JE, Faber WR
Am J Clin Dermatol 2008;9(4):219-32. doi: 10.2165/00128071-200809040-00002. PMID: 18572973
Cutaneous diphtheria.
Höfler W
Int J Dermatol 1991 Dec;30(12):845-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-4362.1991.tb04348.x. PMID: 1816125

Therapy

Cutaneous Diphtheria Mimicking Pyoderma Gangrenosum.
Morgado-Carrasco D, Riquelme-Mc Loughlin C, Fustá-Novell X, Fernández-Pittol MJ, Bosch J, Mascaró JM Jr
JAMA Dermatol 2018 Feb 1;154(2):227-228. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2017.4786. PMID: 29282460
Cases of cutaneous diphtheria in New Zealand: implications for surveillance and management.
Sears A, McLean M, Hingston D, Eddie B, Short P, Jones M
N Z Med J 2012 Feb 24;125(1350):64-71. PMID: 22382258
Cutaneous diphtheroid infection and review of other cutaneous Gram-positive Bacillus infections.
Lee PL, Lemos B, O'Brien SH, English JC 3rd, Zirwas MJ
Cutis 2007 May;79(5):371-7. PMID: 17569399
Cutaneous diphtheria.
Höfler W
Int J Dermatol 1991 Dec;30(12):845-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-4362.1991.tb04348.x. PMID: 1816125
Diphtheria corneal ulcers.
Chandler JW, Milam DF
Arch Ophthalmol 1978 Jan;96(1):53-6. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1978.03910050017004. PMID: 414704

Clinical prediction guides

Cutaneous ulcers revealing diphtheria: A re-emerging disease imported from Indian Ocean countries?
Alberto C, Osdoit S, Villani AP, Bellec L, Belmonte O, Schrenzel J, Bagny K, Badell E, Brisse S, Toubiana J
Ann Dermatol Venereol 2021 Mar;148(1):34-39. Epub 2020 Jul 3 doi: 10.1016/j.annder.2020.04.024. PMID: 32631628
Imported Toxin-Producing Cutaneous Diphtheria - Minnesota, Washington, and New Mexico, 2015-2018.
Griffith J, Bozio CH, Poel AJ, Fitzpatrick K, DeBolt CA, Cassiday P, Kenyon C, Smelser C, Vagnone PS, Culbreath K, Acosta AM
MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2019 Mar 29;68(12):281-284. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6812a2. PMID: 30921303Free PMC Article
Pathogenic properties of a Corynebacterium diphtheriae strain isolated from a case of osteomyelitis.
Peixoto RS, Hacker E, Antunes CA, Weerasekera D, Dias AA, Martins CA, Hirata R Jr, Santos KRND, Burkovski A, Mattos-Guaraldi AL
J Med Microbiol 2016 Nov;65(11):1311-1321. doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.000362. PMID: 27902402
Cutaneous diphtheria; observations on the primary pustular lesion.
BIXBY EW Jr
Arch Derm Syphilol 1948 Oct;58(4):381-4. doi: 10.1001/archderm.1948.01520230026003. PMID: 18117059

Recent systematic reviews

Dermatologic conditions and risk factors in people experiencing homelessness (PEH): systematic review.
Henry T, Khachemoune A
Arch Dermatol Res 2023 Dec;315(10):2795-2803. Epub 2023 Oct 13 doi: 10.1007/s00403-023-02722-2. PMID: 37833427

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