ABSTRACT

Corynebacteria are Gram-positive, non-sporulated, non-capsulated, aerobic diphtheroid bacteria accounting for nearly 50%of the natural skin biocene. This bacterial family is responsible for various skin diseases such as cutaneous diphteria, cromhydrosis, bromhydrosis but the most common of them are pitted keratolysis, trichobacteriosis and erythrasma.

A warm and moist environment and poor hygiene are the predisposition factors for these three diseases. Although this skin diseases are seen more frequently, they usually mistaken for a mycotic infection by general practitioners, with subsequent antimycotic treatment. Here skin diseases compromised with Corynebacterium are presented with their demographic features and discussed on the basis of a literature review. (Turk J Dermatol 2010; 4: 18-21)