ABSTRACT
The authors collected demographics and assessed the impact of vitiligo using Vitiligo Quality of Life (VitiQoL) and Vitiligo Impact Scale (VIS), followed by a focused survey and semistructured interviews with 22 participants in midwestern Nepal. VitiQoL and VIS scales did not indicate a large impact on quality of life; however, through interviews/focused surveys, participants expressed unhappiness/worry, problems in finding partners, securing employment, and social discrimination due to their skin lesions. These stressors are highlighted along with lack of proper physician counseling and vitiligo-related myths, which create psychosocial distress that may not be given priority in underdeveloped countries like Nepal.
Subject(s)
Psychological Distress , Psychosocial Functioning , Quality of Life , Vitiligo/psychology , Adult , Female , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Health Promotion , Humans , Male , Nepal , Qualitative Research , Social Discrimination/psychology , Social Stigma , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Skin biopsy is the method to assist clinicians to make definite dermatological diagnosis which further helps in holistic management. Skin cancers are relatively rare clinical diagnosis in developing countries like Nepal, but the prevalence is on rise. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the profile of skin biopsies and frequencies and pattern of skin cancers in a tertiary care centre of Western Nepal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The materials consisted of 434 biopsies (1.37%) out of 31,450 OPD visits performed in the Department of Dermatology, Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal, during the period of Dec 2011-Nov 2014. Data were collected and analyzed using SPSS-16 with reference to incidence, age, sex, race and clinical and histopathological features. RESULTS: The commonest disorders observed in biopsies were papulosquamous lesions, skin tuberculosis of different types, benign skin tumors, leprosy, collagen and fungal diseases. Viral diseases were rarely seen, probably due to straight forward clinical diagnosis. Dermatological malignancies accounted for 55/434 (12.67%) of biopsies. Skin disorders in general were commoner in females 280/434 (64%), including malignancies 32/55(58.2%). Mean age of patients with skin cancer was 54.5 years. Facilities for proper laboratory investigation of dermatological disorders will improve the quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: The most prevalent lesion in skin biopsies was papulosquamous disorders followed by skin tuberculosis of different types. Dermatological malignancy constituted 55/434 (12.67%) cases. The prevalence of skin malignancy is on rise in Nepalese society probably due to increase in life expectancy and better diagnostic services.
