Interdigital Sinus

Abstract

This rare lesion, characterised by the development of interdigital cysts or sinuses, is seen almost exclusively in the hands of men’s barbers. Hodges, in 1880 (cited by Currie et al. 1953 a) when describing sacrococcygeal cysts, was the first to note that short hairs prick the skin and penetrate into the epidermis of the fingers and hands of barbers. However, it was not until 1942 that the first case of interdigital sinus was reported by Allington and Templeton (cited by Currie et al. 1953), Patey and Scarff (cited by Currie et al. 1953) described the d the cases reported to that date and tackled the problems of aetiology, nosology and treatment. It emerged from their study that all the cases occur in men; moreover, of 77 barbers examined 10 were suffering from the lesion in some stage of its development. Interdigital sinuses approximate to the pilonidal cysts found at other sites: the sacrococcygeal region in particular, the perineum and, much more rarely, the sole of the foot, the umbilicus, the axillary fossa and the suprapubic region.