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The association of hidradenitis suppurativa with other skin diseases has not yet been investigated in larger studies based on dermatological exams. The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence and cutaneous comorbidities of hidradenitis suppurativa in the German working population. Between 2014 and 2017, 20,112 people in 343 German companies were examined for the presence of clinical features of hidradenitis suppurativa within the framework of a cross-sectional epidemiological study based on whole-body examinations. In addition, all cutaneous comorbidities were recorded. Point prevalence was calculated and the differences between individuals with and without hidradenitis suppurativa were determined by bivariate analysis. All statistical procedures were performed using SPSS 23.0 for Windows. Of 20,112 people examined, mean age was 43.6 ± 10.5 years; 52.3% were male. In total, n = 57 people (0.3%) with hidradenitis suppurativa were identified; 61.4% (n = 35) being male. In addition, non-inflammatory hidradenitis suppurativa-related lesions were found in 674 other individuals. In a bivariate comparison, patients with hidradenitis suppurativa showed significantly more frequently the following cutaneous comorbidities: acne vulgaris, psoriasis, seborrhoeic dermatitis, excoriations, and folliculitis. We determined a point prevalence of hidradenitis suppurativa of 0.3%. Since we have examined the working population, the healthy worker effect, which could have led to underestimation of prevalence, cannot be ruled out. The point prevalence of 0.3% for employed people in Germany and a prevalence of 3.0% for inflammatory and non-inflammatory hidradenitis suppurativa-related lesions show that hidradenitis suppurativa is an important disease for the whole health system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tinea barbae represents a very rare dermatophytosis. We report on a tinea barbae profunda following a journey to Southeast Asia. After travel to Thailand, a businessman was affected by a foudroyant proceeding abscessing infection of the upper lip and beard area. The initial therapy with oral acyclovir and oral ciprofloxacin, which later was changed to ampicillin plus sulbactam, intravenously, was unsuccessful. In a biopsy sample, histologically, with Grocott-Gomori's methenamine silver stain, fungal mycelium was apparent in the tissue. Thereupon, terbinafine 250 mg was given for 4 weeks, topically, a 1% ciclopiroxolamine-containing cream. In fungal culture, T. mentagrophytes were found to grow. Meanwhile, the patient's German wife suffered from a tinea faciei. From skin scrapings from the cheek, T. mentagrophytes was also cultivated. This zoophilic dermatophyte was identical with other zoophilic strains of T. mentagrophytes currently found in Germany, which were also acquired in Thailand. The patient had contact with Thai female sex workers who must be considered as a source of infection of the dermatophytosis. There was no animal contact, neither in Thailand, nor in Germany. The infection chain of the dermatophytosis from Thailand probably reached from a female sex worker via the here described patient to his wife in Germany. This pathway of infection has been known for 1 or 2 years, but until now, in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria exclusively via pubogenital infections (tinea genitalis profunda) due to T. mentagrophytes after journeys to Southeast Asia. For treatment, oral antifungal agents should be used, first of all terbinafine, alternatively fluconazole or itraconazole.