ABSTRACT
Background: A group of heterogenous entities having the common clinical feature of altered facial pigmentation have been informally called as facial melanoses. Since, the cosmetic disfigurement is easily visible, it has a lot of impact on the psychological well being of the person. To assess the patients of facial hyper Aim: pigmentary disorders for demographic , etiological and clinical profile. A prospective clinical study was conducted in a tertiary care ce Methods: nter in Ananthapuram over period of 6 months. 100 patients with facial hyper pigmentary disorders were assessed by detailed history and clinical examination. In our study, most common age group Results: which sought treatment was 30-50 years. Female were predominantly affected. five different facial melanosis were observed which included melasma, postinfiammatory hyperpigmentation, reihl's melanosis, exogenous ochronosis,topical steroid damaged face. Reihl's melanosis was the most common disorder reported by 30 patients out of 100. Limitations: Dermoscopy could not be done to resource constraint. Conclusion: Increase in awareness and concern with appearance has led to an increase in reported incidence of facial melanosis in both sexes. Prior application of over-the-counter products poses difficulty in correct evaluation and treatment. Psychological evaluation forms an integral part of the treatment of these patients.
ABSTRACT
Facial melanoses (FM) are a common presentation in Indian patients, causing cosmetic disfigurement with considerable psychological impact. Some of the well defined causes of FM include melasma, Riehl's melanosis, Lichen planus pigmentosus, erythema dyschromicum perstans (EDP), erythrosis, and poikiloderma of Civatte. But there is considerable overlap in features amongst the clinical entities. Etiology in most of the causes is unknown, but some factors such as UV radiation in melasma, exposure to chemicals in EDP, exposure to allergens in Riehl's melanosis are implicated. Diagnosis is generally based on clinical features. The treatment of FM includes removal of aggravating factors, vigorous photoprotection, and some form of active pigment reduction either with topical agents or physical modes of treatment. Topical agents include hydroquinone (HQ), which is the most commonly used agent, often in combination with retinoic acid, corticosteroids, azelaic acid, kojic acid, and glycolic acid. Chemical peels are important modalities of physical therapy, other forms include lasers and dermabrasion.