Two Feet One Hand Syndrome or Disease

[Jkimmie]

Hi,
I would love to know where I can go to research what I was diagnosed with back in 2006. Two Feet One Hand Syndrome is what the Dr called it. By the next visit he had left the practice and I'm not fond of anyone else with in the practice. It looks like a fungus or athletes foot only on my left hand and both feet. When it's flared up it itches worst than ezcema (eczema) and my skin get very very dark at certain times of the year. When treated with steroid creams and antibiotic creams it lightens up stop itching but never ever goes away. I have a family history of this as well. My mother has it both hands both feet as well as her father(my granddad). My aunt(my mother's sister) has it left hand both feet as I do. The same aunt's son has it both feet both hands. No one else in my family has it. My mother, aunt, cousin, and myself all got it around age 7 or 8. Thankfully my kids do not have it but have Ezcema (eczema) as do I and all the people mentioned above. Please help me in understanding why us and only us. When I try to look this up on the internet I get no where. My PCP has never heard of it. Then why would he he's not a Dermatologist.

[Dr_Foot]

Hello,
I have never heard of this condition either since its not a specific medical condition, though I may know what your doctor was talking about. I think you GP was refering to the physical appearence of this condition with regard to location on your body. This would lead to me think that you may have a fungal foot infection (tinea pedis). By your feet being in close proximity you have spread it via foot to foot contact then you have touched the infected foot with you hand hence leading to "Two feet and hand disease", as fungal infections spread via physical contact.

Further creedence is added to this diagnosis as you said you have applied hydocortisone cream (steroid creams). These creams act by producting an anti-inflammatory and an immunosuppressive responce (reduce sweeling, redness, itch) but by doing so dont deal with the route cause. These drugs are commonly known as "masking agents" as they deal with the common inflammation symptoms of many diseases but in some cases, such as a fungal infection not the cause. This lead to a remission in the disease's symptoms but once treatment stops or a threshold is reached the orginal disease will come back, often more aggressive.

In terms of treatment I recommend you try a topical anti-fungal cream, lamisil (terbinafine). Follow the instructions and apply to the affected areas.
Regards

Dr Foot

[tink1015]

My sixteen year old daughter suddenly developed a red rash (just on her toes and fingers).  It came out of no where.  She has been putting an antifungal cream on the affected areas twice a day for a couple of weeks, and it has improved some, but not much.  Today she said that her thumbnails hurt.  She has suffered from hyperhydrosis for years - so I'm wondering if this has anything to do with it??  

[turkbear]

I too was diagnosed with two feet one hand. I was told that it is a severe environmental allergy. Closed toed shoes agrivate it.

I had been mis-diagnosed for 5 years as having exzima. I had tried tons of perscription creams and used lots of bottles of heavy lotion to try and relieve the itch horrible rash. It got so severe that 3 of my fingernails on my hand fell off.

I finally found a dermatologist that could correctly diagnose my condition. He prescribed lamasil. The first time in 5 years my condition completely went away and my nails grew back. It will eventually come back, but all I have to do is go back in and tell him that I am starting to get it again and I will go back on lamasil.

Hope this helps!

[BumpyHands]

Ten years ago I had a severe fungal infection on my left foot.  Eventually I broke out with blisters all over my hands.  A group of physicians at Jefferson Hospital told me that I was having a systemic reaction to the foot fungus.  In July I noticed a spot on my foot and behold...blisters again started to appear on my hands.  I requested that my physician follow the same protocol that was used before; oral steriods and lamisil.  He prescribed only a weeks supply at 500mg a day and it worked for a moment.  I did further research online and discovered that he should have provided considerable more time for the treatment to work.  Now I am back on the Lamisil, but only taking 250mg and it is not working nearly as well as before.  I am considering just upping my dosage if it does not change soon.  In the meantime I am consuming fresh garlic and garlic tablets, and making sure that I am on a good multi-vitamin.