[Epidemiologic profile of skin diseases in Tunisian children]

Skin diseases are fairly common in children and can be related to a heavy morbidity. However, very little data about the epidemiology of pediatric skin diseases are available in the literature. retrospective study about 2007 children seen at the dermatological outpatient's department of children's hospital of Tunis between January 1997 and December 2004. The children's sex, age and diagnosis were noted. the median age was 5 years 2 months +/- 4.5 years [range 3 days, 18 years]. Infants and preschool children represented 67.3per cent of the study population. There was 1023 boys and 984 girls [sex-ratio: 1.03]. There were 2100 skin diseases in the 2007 children. Skin infections constituted the largest group [35.3 per cent] followed by allergic skin diseases [26.3 per cent]. Among skin infections, viral infections were most prevalent [31.2 per cent], followed by fungal infections [28.2 per cent], bacterial infections [21.1 per cent] and parasitic infections [19.4 per cent]. Atopic dermatitis was the most prevalent allergic disease. It was also the most prevalent dermatosis in the infant group. The number of children with atopic dermatitis decreased with age, suggesting that this condition tends to clear with age. epidemiologic data are useful in monitoring changes in diseases trends in children and planning healthcare programs for them

[Are spring water thermal cures helpful for the treatment of atopic dermatitis?]

The prevalence of atopic dermatitis [AD] is usually high in western countries, varying from 18% to 20% that s why AD is considered as a public health problem. Although the prevalence of AD in Tunisia is not as high as in European countries, recent studies suggest an increasing of this frequency. Spring water thermal cures are considered as a helpful adjuvant measure in the treatment of AD. We present the clinic and therapeutic features of atopic dermatitis and discuss the indication of spring water thermal cures

[Tuberous xanthoma associated to plan xanthoma during a dyslipidemea - about 14 cases]

Xanthoma are benign cutaneous tumors. They can be isolated or associated to hyperlipidaemia. We report the observation of a 15-year-old patient, born from un inbred marriage, which presents a tuberous xanthoma of the right elbow associated to plan xanthoma which revealed a type IIa hyperlipoproteinemia. We shall call back the various aspects of xanthoma, as well as the clinical and biological particularities of the type IIa hypertipoproteinemia

[Cutaneous mastocytosis in children. A review of 15 cases]

Introduction: Cutaneous mastocytosis [CM] is a rare disease defined as the infiltration of the skin by mast cells. This disorder is more frequentin children. The evolution of the pediatric form to a systemic disease is rare

Patients and Methods: Our study concerned 15 children seen in the dermatology department of Charles Nicolle Hospital between 1984 and 2002. The aim of this work is to show clinic, therapeutic and evolutive particularities of this disease

Results: Sex-ratio was about 0.87 [7 males and 8 females]. The age at onset of the lesion ranged from one month to 11.5 years. Urticaria pigmentosa was observed in 11 cases, diffuse cutaneous mastocytosis in 2 cases and and xanthelasmoid form in two other children. The treatment of our patients was based essentially on preventive measures and symptomatic therapy with histamine receptor antagonists. Over a mean follow-up period of 11 months we noted regression or resolution of the lesions in 9 cases

Discussion: Urticaria pigmentosa is the most benign. However, systemic signs are more frequent in the diffuse cutaneous mastocytosis form. Preventive measures are the main therapeutic mean; especially avoidance of histamine-releasing agents