CUTANEOUS MANIFESTATIONS OF SPORTS PARTICIPATION

As interest and participation in sports and recreational activities co ntinue to increase, so do problems of the skin associated with sports participation. Primary care physicians and dermatologists may find the diagnosis of these sometimes unusual skin lesions difficult without k nowledge of their association with sporting activities. Likewise, trea tment of these skin lesions may be unsatisfactory without an understan ding of the unique factors that contributed to the problem. This artic le reviews the cutaneous manifestations of sports participation. Traum atic and environmental skin injuries, skin infections, and exacerbatio n of preexisting dermatoses, as well as descriptions, predisposing con ditions or causative agents, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention are discussed.