Perspiration as well as other skin irritants (e.g. soap residue, petroleum products, sawdust, fiberglass etc) can collect in body folds and cause an irritant dermatitis.  The condition is most commonly seen in patients in whom the body folds predispose to trap moisture and irritants rather than vent to the air.  As you can imagine, service members who are constitutionally sweaty, who serve in hot, sweaty places, doing hot sweaty things or who are pregnant (figure 1) are more prone to this condition.  In addition, what starts as a simple case of Interigo may, with time, become secondarily colonized with Staph and/or Candida.

The best way to prevent interigo is the use of hygienic measures outlined above.  Strongly counsel your patient not to be overzealous in personal hygiene measures.  Recommend avoiding over the counter (OTC) remedies and harsh soaps.  If it occurs despite these measures, the use of mild topical corticosteroids (e.g. hydrocortisone or desonide cream) should be considered.

Intertrigo