Abrasive Shirts May Contribute to Herpes Gladiatorum among Wrestlers

To the Editor: One of us (R.H.S.) has been the primary physician for the varsity wrestling team at a large university for the past 11 years. In all but one of these years, cotton shirts were worn during practice. During the 1987 season, an unusually thick and durable shirt composed of 50 percent polyester and 50 percent cotton was required for practice sessions. At the beginning of that season, many wrestlers reported that the new shirts caused increased abrasions of the face and neck. A written survey confirmed that 84 percent of the team members believed this to be the. No extract is available for articles shorter than 400 words.