Background: Staphylococcus lugdunensis is an emerging pathogen in skin and soft tissue infections. However, until recently, the role of S. lugdunensis as a skin pathogen remained underrated.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and antibiotic susceptibility of S. lugdunensis isolated from skin diseases.
Methods: This is a retrospective chart review of 48 cases in which S. lugdunensis was isolated from bacterial skin cultures between 2016 and 2021.
Results: Among the 48 patients, the mean age was 41.0 years, 54.2% were male, and 12.5% of the patients had immunosuppressive diseases. Nearly 87.4% of infections occurred below the waist and the dominant sources of isolation were epidermal cyst (31.3%) and hidradenitis suppurativa (29.2%). The rate of resistance of S. lugdunensis against β-lactam antibiotics were as follows: penicillin, 83.3%; oxacillin, 37.5%; and methicillin, 29.2%.
Conclusion: S. lugdunensis is emerging as one of the primary pathogens of skin infections. When S. lugdunensis is isolated, dermatologists should consider that it is not just a component of the skin flora but can also be a pathogen. If S. lugdunensis is identified as the cause of infection, it should be managed with appropriate antibiotic therapy. (Korean J Dermatol 2023;61(2):124∼129)