Pattern of skin diseases presenting in outpatient department of dermatology, Gujranwala Medical College, Gujranwala

Abstract

Objective To determine the pattern of skin diseases in patients presenting in DHQ Teaching Hospital, Gujranwala, Pakistan.   Methods This observational study was conducted in Outpatient Department of Dermatology, Gujranwala Medical College, Gujranwala, over a period of 2 years i.e. 1st January 2018 to 31st December 2019.  All the patients seeking skin consultation during this period were enrolled in the study. Diagnoses were established clinically or with the help of investigations where needed.   Results Total 157,056 patients were evaluated during this study period. Dermatological diseases constituted 5.5% of the total hospital outdoor patients. Mean age was 26.4±17 years. Male to female ratio was 1:1.6. Infections were the most common (32.7%) disorder observed. Scabies was seen in 26.7% of patient followed by eczema in 18.7%. Acne Vulgaris was found in 6.7% of cases. Autoimmune disorders were seen in 6.4% of patients. 3.1% patients had melasma. Diffuse hair loss, androgenetic alopecia, telogen effluvium were observed in 1.08%, 0.79%, 0.74% of the cases respectively. While 1,512 patients (0.9%) presented with various drug reactions.   Conclusion Our data shows that skin diseases impart a significant health problem for the public. Provision of specialized dermatologic help needs to be extended over a larger scale for prevention and better management of skin disorders.