An audit of dermatoses at Baqai Institute of Skin Diseases, Karachi

Abstract

Background Epidemiology offers one of the most powerful direct methods of evaluating skin diseases in human population. The study comprises an audit of the patients presenting in the outpatient department of Baqai Institute of Skin Diseases (BISD), during the calendar year 2002. Patients and methods A total of 13105 patients presented in the outpatient department during the said period. Their clinical diagnosis and results of relevant investigations were recorded. Results Patients belonged to all age groups and both sexes with 6684 (51%) females and 6421 (49%) males. The most common disease as a single entity was found to be scabies (15.4%). However, as a group, eczema accounted for 25% of the patients, followed by fungal infections (12.6%), acne (8.5%) and bacterial infections (6.4%). Other important diseases were melasma (4%), androgenetic alopecia (3.2%), diffuse alopecia (2.7%), urticaria (2.4%), psoriasis (2.1%), viral infections (1.7%), alopecia areata (1.5%), lichen planus (1.3%), and vitiligo (1.1%). Other less frequently reported diseases included drug eruptions, pediculosis, post inflammatory hypo- and hyperpigmentation, generalized pruritus, oral ulcers, miliaria, xanthelasma, milia, striae, palmoplantar keratoderma, leishmaniasis, leprosy, keloid and vasculitis. Some rare diseases were pityriasis rosea, angioedema, ichthyosis, canities, scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus and pemphigus. There were occasional case reports of porokeratosis of Mibelli, Bowen’s disease, rosacea, mastocytosis and histiocytosis. Conclusion Pattern of dermatoses at ‘BISD’ is much the same as in other cities of Pakistan with minor differences.