Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and Staphylococcus aureus colonization

Background: Bacterial infections are a common complication of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). The most common pathogen of cutaneous infections in CTCL patients is Staphylococcus aureus. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess S aureus colonization rates among CTCL subjects compared to control subjects. Methods: Fifty subjects with CTCL, 25 psoriasis control subjects, and 25 healthy control subjects were included in this study. Culture swabs were obtained from nares and lesional skin or normal skin in the healthy controls. Results: S aureus colonization rates were 44% in CTCL subjects, 48% in psoriasis subjects, and 28% in healthy control subjects (P = .29). Limitations: The sample size was small, and the exclusion criteria resulted in an underestimation of the colonization rate. Conclusion: There was a trend for higher methicillin-sensitive S aureus colonization in the CTCL group compared with healthy control subjects. S aureus colonization may be directly related to body surface area of CTCL.