Candida albicans--saprophyte or pathogen?

Skin scrapings taken from toe spaces of 200 healthy volunteers and from toe webs and groins of 150 pediatric patients were cultured for Candida albicans using the serum germ-tube test. The results showed that Candida albicans can be isolated in about 15% of normal toe spaces and 14% of children with normal groins. Although Candida albicans can be found in various grades of athlete's foot and also in some abnormal groins, we believe that it is not necessarily responsible for these conditions and is often present at these sites only as a saprophyte.