Prevalence of skin diseases in suburban Sri Lanka.

BACKGROUND: In Sri Lanka the only available measures of disease frequency related to skin disorders are from hospital-based clinic studies. They reflect only the patterns of clinic attendance, and the actual prevalence of skin diseases in the community is unknown. The main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of skin diseases in a selected area. METHODS: A household survey based on health interviews and clinical examination was conducted over a period of 4 months. 418 households were selected for modified cluster sampling from predetermined areas in Piliyandala. RESULTS: There were 1806 people residing in the 418 households surveyed. 894 cases were identified, of which 34 people could not be traced for clinical examination. 33 households did not have anyone with a skin lesion. The prevalence of skin disease was 47.6%. Fungal infections, followed by dermatitis, were found to be the commonest problems. There was only one case of leprosy. Psoriasis was found to be of low prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: The overall prevalence of skin disease was high in the community that we surveyed. There were marked differences between community prevalence and hospital dermatology clinic attendance data for a number of skin diseases.