Epidemiology of dermatologic conditions among elderly patients at the Ambulatory Care Service of a Tertiary Hospital in Metro Manila from 2014 to 2018: A five-year review

Introduction@#Ageing is a progressive degenerative process that leads to decline in the physiological function and reserve capacity of the whole body system, including the skin. As the Filipino geriatric population escalates, the incidence of skin diseases becomes more widely acknowledged. Presently, there are only a few studies that have been reported locally describing the nature of geriatric dermatoses.@*Objectives@#To describe the epidemiology of dermatologic conditions among Filipino elderly patients that prompted a consult at the ambulatory care service of a tertiary hospital between the years 2014 and 2018.@*Methodology@#All Filipino elderly patients with dermatological conditions seen at the dermatology ambulatory care service from 2014 to 2018 was studied through a single-center, retrospective, descriptive study.@*Results@#Elderly patients comprised 16.76% of the total patients who sought dermatological consultation at the ambulatory care service of the hospital. Majority of the patients were females. Xerosis/xerotic eczema (10.02%) was the most frequently encountered skin disease. The top 10 diseases were irritant contact dermatitis (7.00%), lichen simplex chronicus (6.67%), psoriasis (5.56%), seborrheic dermatitis (5.24%), allergic contact dermatitis (4.37%), tinea pedis (3.51%), herpes zoster (3.49%), seborrheic keratosis (3.23%), and milia (2.54%). Based on the nature of disease, inflammatory condition was the most commonly seen.@*Conclusion@#Dermatological disorders are ubiquitous in older people with a significant impact on the quality of life. Inflammatory dermatoses comprise a wide array of skin diseases as evidenced in this study, which account for most of the cutaneous problems in the elderly. Similar to other epidemiological studies, xerosis/xerotic eczema still comprises majority of the cases prompting elderly patients to seek a dermatological consultation.

Knowledge, attitude, perception and practices of primary care physicians regarding common dermatological diseases: A cross-sectional study

Introduction@#Dermatologic diseases are one of the common reasons for consult in primary care. Primary care physicians such as the doctors to the barrios (DTTBs) assigned in geographically isolated areas play a critical role in providing primary skin health services since they are the first, and sometimes, only doctors patients rely on for consult. In managing skin diseases, adequate knowledge and skills are needed to arrive at a correct diagnosis, and a physician’s proper initial treatment and timely referral to dermatologists will lead to less affectation on quality of life. Identifying what is lacking in skin health services and referral system would aid dermatologists in finding out how to bridge the gap in knowledge and access to our specialized skin health care.@*Objectives@#The study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitudes, practices, and perceptions of primary care physicians in the Philippines regarding common dermatologic conditions.@*Methods@#This is a cross-sectional study that utilized a self-administered questionnaire to collect data from rural government primary care phy- sicians (doctors to the barrios). At the end of the study, the proponents collated the data and data analysis was done using STATA 13.1 guided by a statistician.@*Results@#A total of 118 DTTBs were included in the study. The mean age of the physicians is 28 years old. One-half of the physicians were assigned to low-income class municipalities; 26.85% and 25% are from 4th class and 5th class municipalities respectively. Factors such as age, sex and clinical experience were not associated with level of knowledge of the respondents. Majority or 55% of the primary care physicians were classified as hav- ing insufficient knowledge on common skin diseases. The respondents have an average of 250 consultations per week and 6% of these are derma- tologic diseases. The most common skin diseases they encountered were impetigo (46.61%), scabies (46.61%), contact dermatitis (43.22%), fungal infection (25.42%) and cellulitis (20.34%). The most prescribed and available medications for skin diseases are oral and systemic antibiotics. Only 42.37% of the physicians are able to refer to dermatologists through various online communication platforms while the rest refer through phone calls or advise their patients to seek dermatologic consult. 25% of the respondents have direct access to dermatologists. DTTBs also have recog- nized the importance of having adequate knowledge on skin diseases and majority are very interested in learning more about these conditions. The top 3 barriers to the proper management of skin diseases were lack of training, lack of experience, and lack of medications. Most of the re- spondents have rated themselves as average to bad in their perceived competency in diagnosing and managing different common skin diseases.@*Conclusion@#The study showed that majority of the respondents had insufficient knowledge on the diagnosis and management of common der- matological diseases but had a strong interest to learn more. A significant number of the respondents do not always refer to dermatologists and have poor access to specialty care. Overall, our findings suggest that there are indeed barriers to delivery of skin-related health services that should be addressed.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Jamaica / El síndrome de Stevens-Johnson y la necrólisis epidérmica tóxica en el Hospital Universitario de West Indies, Jamaica

OBJECTIVE: Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis are uncommon acute dermatologic disorders. The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency, aetiology and outcome of cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis admitted to the dermatology ward at the University Hospital of the West Indies. METHODS: This was a retrospective study looking at all patients who were admitted with a diagnosis of Stevens-Johnson syndrome, Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis overlap syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis over a nine-year period. RESULTS: The results showed almost equal numbers of males and females. The drugs most commonly implicated were phenytoin and cotrimoxazole. The most common complications were hepatic impairment and ophthalmic complications. CONCLUSION: Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality of patients on the dermatology ward although mortality was low compared to other studies.

OBJETIVO: El síndrome de Stevens-Johnson (SSJ) y la necrólisis epidérmica tóxica (NET) son trastornos dermatológicos agudos poco frecuentes. El propósito de este estudio fue examinar la frecuencia, la etiología y el resultado de casos de síndrome Stevens-Johnson y necrólisis epidérmica tóxica ingresados en la sala de dermatología del Hospital Universitario de West Indies. MÉTODOS: Se trata de un estudio retrospectivo con todos los pacientes que fueron ingresados con diagnóstico de síndrome de Stevens-Johnson, síndrome de solapamiento entre el síndrome de Stevens-Johnson y NET, y necrólisis epidérmica tóxica, por un período de nueve años. RESULTADOS: Los resultados mostraron casi igual número de varones y hembras. Los fármacos más comúnmente implicados fueron la fenitoína y el cotrimoxazol. Las complicaciones más frecuentes fueron deterioro hepático y complicaciones oftálmicas. CONCLUSIÓN: El síndrome Stevens-Johnson y la necrólisis epidérmica tóxica contribuyen significativamente a la morbilidad y mortalidad de los pacientes en la Sala de Dermatología, aunque la mortalidad fue baja en comparación con otros estudios.

Distribution of histological diagnoses of black and white skin in Campinas, diseases Brazil, from 1993 to 2009 / Distribuição dos diagnósticos histológicos das afecções da pele negra e branca, em Campinas, Brasil, entre 1993 e 2009

INTRODUCTION: Little is known about ethnic differences in the frequency of skin diseases, and even less in terms of Brazilian population, which is characterized by miscegenation. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the distribution of skin disorders in black and Caucasian patients through pathological specimens. METHODS: 826 biopsies from black-skinned individuals and 1,652 from white-skinned patients were retrieved and studied from the files of the Pathology Department, UNICAMP Hospital within the period of 1993-2009. The clinical data were obtained from medical records and the results were tested by statistical methods. RESULTS: Non-melanoma cancer was the most frequent diagnosis in Caucasians (45%), differing from the frequency among black patients (8%), both arising in sun-exposed skin. Regarding topography and age, in white-skinned patients aged over 50 years, biopsies of "head and neck" prevailed. As to black patients, the disease predominated among female individuals aged from 15 to 50 years and in the genital area. In the comparative analysis of vulvar diseases, we observed differences in diagnoses of sexually transmitted diseases more common among black women. Excluding cancers and genital lesions, black patients had a higher percentage of infectious diseases. Among the non-infectious diseases, cutaneous lupus was the most frequent diagnosis in both groups. Lichen planus and drug reactions were more frequent in black patients. CONCLUSION: Apart from intrinsic differences among skin types, social factors may interfere in the distribution of diseases. Not only may these results be useful to public health programs, but they may also aid the approach to dermatological diseases in black skin patients.

INTRODUÇÃO: Pouco se conhece sobre as diferenças étnicas na frequência das doenças da pele e, menos ainda, na população brasileira, caracterizada pela miscigenação. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a distribuição das afecções da pele de indivíduos negros, comparativamente com a dos brancos, em material anatomopatológico. MÉTODOS: Foram estudadas 826 biópsias de indivíduos de pele negra e 1.652 dos de pele branca, obtidas do Departamento de Anatomia Patológica do Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas (HC-UNICAMP), entre 1993 e 2009. Os achados clínicos foram obtidos dos prontuários e os resultados testados por métodos estatísticos. RESULTADOS: O câncer não melanoma foi o diagnóstico mais frequente nos brancos (45%), diferindo, significantemente, da frequência nos negros (8%), assestando-se, em ambos, na pele exposta ao sol. Quanto à topografia e à idade, nos brancos predominavam biópsias da "cabeça e pescoço", na faixa acima dos 50 anos. Nos negros, as doenças predominavam entre 15 e 50 anos, no sexo feminino, na topografia dos genitais. À análise comparativa das doenças vulvares, observou-se diferença nos diagnósticos de doenças sexualmente transmissíveis mais frequentes nas mulheres negras. Excluindo-se os cânceres e a topografia genital, os negros apresentaram porcentagem maior de doenças infecciosas. Entre as doenças não infecciosas, o lúpus cutâneo foi a mais frequente nos dois grupos; o líquen plano e a farmacodermia foram mais frequentes nos negros. CONCLUSÃO: Além das diferenças intrínsecas de tipos de pele, fatores sociais podem atuar na distribuição das doenças. Esses resultados podem ser úteis, tanto para os programas de saúde pública quanto para a abordagem das doenças dermatológicas nos pacientes de pele negra.

A Clinical Analysis of Dermatologic Diseases in Infants / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: The incidence of infantile dermatoses shows a tendency to increase, despite medical development and environmental improvement. Infantile dermatoses must be regarded discretely, due to special characteristics of the neonatal and infantile skin. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the incidence of dermatologic diseases in the infant patients. METHODS: One hundred fifty nine out-patients, younger than 1 year who had visited the department of dermatology from January 2001 to December 2011, were analyzed, retrospectively. RESULTS: The 0~1 year age group accounted for 0.58% of all new patients (261/44,718). The ratio of male to female was 1 to 0.69. Patients visited the hospital most frequently in the winter (34.5%). The most common disease was atopic dermatitis (30.3%), followed by hemangioma (9.2%), and irritant contact dermatitis (7.7%). The most common disease group was eczema (44.8%), followed by an infectious skin disease (19.2%), and dermal and subcutaneous tumors (10.7%). CONCLUSION: This study provides useful data on the incidence and characteristics of dermatologic diseases in infant patients.

A Clinical Study of Dermatologic Diseases in Elderly Patients / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: According to developments in socioeconomic status and medical science, the population of aged individuals has significantly increased. Therefore, this group needs a fundamental epidemiologic survey of dermatologic diseases. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of dermatologic diseases in the elderly and to compare with those of previous studies. METHODS: 729 out-patients over 65 years of age who had visited the Department of Dermatology, Yonsei University Wonju Christian Hospital from January, 2004 to December, 2010 were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The elderly group over 65 years of age accounted for 9.7% of all new patients (729/7,532 cases). The ratio of males to females was 1 to 0.99 (366 cases : 363 cases). Patients between 65 and 69 years of age were the majority (36.2%). They visited the hospital most frequently in the summer (31.8%), especially August (11.0%). The most common disease was herpes zoster (10.5%), followed by fungal infection (10.3%), and allergic contact dermatitis (8.4%). Fungal infection was the most frequent disease in patients between 65 and 69 years old and herpes zoster was the most frequent disease between 70 and 79 years old. Scabies was the most frequent disease in patients over 80 years old. Pruritis was found in 9.7% and xerosis in 7.0%. Eczema was the most common disease group (in 22.0%) and the second mmost common was viral infection (12.3%). CONCLUSION: This study provides useful data on the prevalence and characteristics of dermatologic diseases in elderly Korean patients.

Development of an Imaging System for Use in Diagnosing Dermatologic Diseases / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: The imaging system that's currently being used in the field of dermatology is based on such instruments as the dermoscope, phototrichograph and camera. In recent years, the use of an image magnification system based on polarization has become popular. OBJECTIVE: In this study, optical quantification was performed based on the multiwavelength imaging analysis of the structures that form dermatologic diseases, and an attempt was made to enhance the image quality by using polarization technology. METHODS: The lesions of three patients who were clinically diagnosed with cherry angioma, melanocytic nevus and inflammatory lesions in acne and freckles were measured at the outpatient clinic of the Department of Dermatology of the authors' hospital. All the patients were female, and their mean age was 29.3 years. RESULTS: The optical characteristics of the patients' various skin lesions, including cherry angioma, melanocytic nevus and inflammatory lesions in acne and freckles, were distinguishable by their wavelength. CONCLUSION: The use of different kinds of information may be helpful for measuring and diagnosing various skin lesions that have not been differentiated with using the previous modalities. Further, if the various environmental factors that may be generated during the measurement process can be controlled, then these study results can be applied to a standard diagnostic modality in the field of dermatology.

Doenças dermatológicas em profissionais de saúde de uma Unidade de Terapia Intensiva em Recife, PE / Dermatological diseases in health professionals at intensive care unit in Recife, PE

Objetivo: Investigar a ocorrência de doenças dermatológicas em profissionais de saúde de uma Unidade de Terapia Intensiva (UTI) em um hospital geral, terciário do nordeste do Brasil. Método: Foram avaliados clinicamente todos os 30 funcionários da área de enfermagem lotados na UTI do hospital. Para os profissionais foi preenchida uma ficha contendo informações de identificação: diagnóstico dermatológico, tempo de sintomatologia (quando existente); se atividades profissionais em outros estabelecimentos de saúde; se outras pessoas da família e/ou do plantão com problemas clínicos semelhantes e se práticas de biossegurança adotadas sistematicamente. Resultados: Ao exame clínico se observou que 53,3% (16/30) dos profissionais apresentavam doenças dermatológicas, sendo que 26,7% (8/30) destes eram assintomáticos. Foram diagnosticadas 27 doenças dermatológicas com predomínio das onicomicoses (22,2%), seguidas pela Tinea pedis (14,8%), escabiose (11,1%) e dermatite de contato mais escabiose (11,1%). Do total de funcionários com lesões dermatológicas, 75% (12/16) trabalhavam em dois hospitais diferentes. Conclusões: A ocorrência de doenças dermatológicas foi significativa na população estudada (53,3%). Esses achados são importantes, uma vez que estes profissionais podem carrear espécies de microrganismos capazes de causar processos infecciosos, particularmente, em pacientes internados em UTI, um setor onde existe doentes que, freqüentemente, necessitam de procedimentos invasivos e/ou têm fatores de risco para adquirirem infecções.