Frequency of various skin disorders among patients attending outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Background Skin diseases have a high prevalence worldwide and these greatly affect an individual’s quality of life. Objective The aim of this study is to observe the frequency of various skin disorders among patients attending outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital. This will be of help in understanding the increasing incidence of such disorders and also the possible preventive measures that should be taken in order to minimize their existence. Methods An observational study was carried out on all the patients attending the Outpatient Department of Dermatology, Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore, during a period of one year. A thorough medical history along with detailed cutaneous examination was performed on every patient. Lab investigations and skin biopsies were restricted to those cases where confirmation of diagnosis was required. Results A total of 26,880 patients presented in the outpatient Department of Dermatology, Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore. Out of these cases, 5523 came repeatedly to the hospital for a follow up visit related to their problem while 21,357 were considered as new cases. There were 55% females and 45% males. Most of patients were in the 20-40years age group. Out of 21,357, skin infections were diagnosed in 6215 (29.1%) cases followed by eczema 4400(20.6%), sebaceous & sweat gland disorders 2605 (12.2%), infestations 1602 (7.5%), papulosquamous disorders (5.7%), pigmentary disorders 1004 (4.7%) drug reactions 833 (3.9%), hair & nail disorders 790 (3.7%), vascular disorders 726 (3.4%), bullous disorders 555 (2.6%) and connective tissue disorders in 363 (1.7%) patients. In addition, there was a miscellaneous group of 1047 (4.9%) patients with different diseases in small numbers. Conclusion Skin Infections were the most common skin disorder seen in our study, followed by eczema. The huge burden of these skin diseases poses a challenge to our society and effective measures are required to limit further increase.   XMultiCopyPasteTime to upgrade, it’s free!Simply click on the top left of the extension and register to get access to 10 shortcuts. Your email will remain secure, but we might get in touch for your feedback! XMultiCopyPasteTime to upgrade, it’s free!Simply click on the top left of the extension and register to get access to 10 shortcuts. Your email will remain secure, but we might get in touch for your feedback!