Sociodemographic and Clinical Profile of Geriatric Patients seen at the Southern Philippines Medical Center Department of Dermatology from January 2016 to December 2019

Introduction@#Geriatric health has become a major issue worldwide. According to the World Health Organization(WHO), between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world's population over 60 years will nearly double from 12% to 22%. There is paucity of literature involving the spectrum of frequencies of Filipino geriatric dermatoses.@*Objectives@#To report on sociodemographic and clinical profiles of geriatric patients seen at the department of Dermatology of Southern Philip- pines Medical Center from January 2016 to December 2019.@*Methods@#A retrospective descriptive study was conducted. Sociodemographic and clinical parameters were recorded and analyzed. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used.@*Results@#Study population involved 470 patients with 372 out-patients and 98 in-patients. There was a preponderance of elderly patients with ages of 70-79 and a slight female predominance. Most were married, residents of Davao City, retired or unemployed and had no vices. About 711 derma- tologic dermatoses were recorded. Majority of concerns(22.08%) were classified under allergic and eczematous disorders. A greater number of cases were managed by a combination of topical and oral medications. A proportion of these patients(38.09%) had at least one known co-morbid condition; most common of which is hypertension. The top 10 most common dermatoses include (1)xerosis, (2)contact dermatitis, (3)lichen simplex chronicus, (4)dermatophytosis, (5)stasis derma- titis, (6)seborrheic dermatitis and seborrheic keratosis, (7)acrochordon, (8)psoriasis vulgaris, (9)herpes zoster and (10)verruca plana.@*Conclusion@#Geriatric dermatology is an emerging branch in the new millennium. Raising the level of awareness about these dermatoses may be crucial in proper management and improved quality of life for Filipino elderly patients.

Dermatosis del adulto mayor en Antofagasta: experiencia de 30 años / Dermatitis older persons in Antofagasta

La población mundial y nacional está en proceso de envejecimiento. Las enfermedades dermatológicas son frecuentes en todos los grupos etarios y en el adulto mayor no es la excepción. Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo del principal motivo de consulta en los mayores de 60 años, atendidos en el periodo de 3 décadas (1984 a 2013) en una consulta privada de la ciudad de Antofagasta, Chile. Antofagasta exhibe un alto índice de radiación ultravioleta durante todo el año y hasta la década del 70 las aguas de consumo humano contenían arsénico. 4360 fichas de adultos mayores (60 años o más) ingresaron al estudio, 2.626 mujeres (60.2 por ciento) y 1734 hombres (39.8 por ciento). El 75,5 por ciento de los pacientes eran beneficiarios de Fonasa o fueron atendidos gratuitamente. Los diferentes motivos de consulta determinaron 191 diagnósticos diferentes, que fueron agrupados bajo 18 items. Los 3 items más frecuentes de consulta fueron tumores cutáneos (38,1 por ciento de los casos), dermatosis inflamatorias(26 por ciento) e infecciones cutáneas (15,3 por ciento). O sea, en esos 3 items se encasillaron casi el 80 por ciento de los pacientes. Los siete diagnósticos individuales más frecuentes fueron: queratosis seborreicas (9,6 por ciento de los casos), carcinomas basocelulares (6,7 por ciento), dermatitis aguda(5,7 por ciento), herpes zoster (4,3 por ciento), rosácea y condiciones afines (4,2 por ciento), enfermedad de Bowen (4 por ciento) y queratosis actínicas (3,9 por ciento). El alto porcentaje de tumores premalignos y malignos encontrados en los adultos mayores en el estudio, probablemente se relaciona con el daño provocado por la luz ultravioleta y el arsénico.

World and national population is in process of aging. Dermatological diseases are frequent in every age group and senior citizens are not an exception. We performed a retrospective study about the main reason of consultation in adults over the age of 60 in the period of 3 decades (1984 to 2013) in a private practice of the city of Antofagasta, Chile. Antofagasta exhibits a high UV index all the year round and until the 70’s the water for human consumption contains arsenic. 4360 medical records of patients older than 60 years old were analyzed, 2626 female (60, 2 percent) and 1734 male (39, 8 percent). The different reasons of consultation determined 191 different diagnoses, which were grouped under 18 items. The 3 most frequent items of consultation were cutaneous tumors (38,1 percent of the cases), inflammatory dermatosis (26 percent) and cutaneous infections (15,3 percent), Almost an 80 percent of the patients were classified in these three items. The seven most frequent individual diagnoses were: seborrheic keratosis (9,6 percent of the cases), basal cell carcinoma (6,7 percent), acute dermatitis (5,7 percent), herpes zoster (4,3 percent), rosacea and related conditions (4,2 percent), Bowen disease (4 percent) and actinic keratosis (3,9 percent). The high percentage of premalignant and malignant tumors found among elders in this study is probably related with the damage induced by ultraviolet radiation and arsenic.