Achilles foot-screening project: background, objectives and design

Objective A description of the background, objectives and design of the Ach illes foot screening project. Subject Foot diseases, especially tinea pedis and onychomycosis. Methods Literature review and description of the Achilles set-up. Results The prevalence of tinea pedis and onychomycosis has sharply increas ed since 1950. Tinea pedis is one of the most common mycological diseases a nd onychomycosis is the most frequent nail disorder. They occur mainly in a dults with an estimated overall prevalence of 10-20%, although epidemiologi cal data are limited. The pan-European Achilles foot-screening project was undertaken to gather basic information on foot diseases, using a survey by questionnaire and a mycological assessment study. Conclusion The prevalence of foot mycoses, particularly onychomycoses, is m uch higher than anticipated. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights rese rved.