December 1, 1974British Journal of Dermatology
The pathogenic status of yeasts infecting ulcerated legs
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Discussion
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Implication
Clinical trial finds that nystatin clears Candida species without improving healing rates in venous leg ulcers, suggesting yeasts act as colonizers rather than active pathogens.
Key Points
- To determine whether Candida species actively impair the healing of venous leg ulcers and assess the therapeutic value of eradicating them with topical nystatin.
- Enrolled 17 patients with Candida-positive venous ulcers in a crossover regimen involving weekly nystatin ointment under compression bandaging for 1 month and vehicle ointment alone for 1 month.
- Evaluated fungal clearance through regular mycological examinations during treatment.
- Followed 16 patients for up to 1 year or until complete wound closure, administering nystatin whenever yeasts were detected.
- Topical nystatin achieved complete eradication of Candida species in 100% of treated cases.
- Ulcer healing rates did not correlate with yeast elimination, showing no obvious clinical improvement during the crossover period or throughout the 1-year follow-up.
Cite This Study
Smith et al. (1974) studied this question.