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Skin disease in Gulf war veterans.
E M Higgins1, K Ismail, K Kant
1Dermatology Department, King's College Hospital, London, and. Gulf War Illness Research Unit, Guy's, King's & St Thomas' Medical School, London, UK.
QJM : Monthly Journal of the Association of Physicians
|September 27, 2002
Summary
Gulf War veterans experience higher rates of skin conditions, particularly seborrheic dermatitis, which is twice as common. However, overall skin disease does not appear to significantly contribute to their ill-health.
Area of Science:
- Military medicine
- Dermatology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Gulf War veterans report higher symptomatic ill-health compared to military controls.
- Skin conditions are a common reason for military personnel to seek medical care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the prevalence and nature of skin disease in UK Gulf War veterans versus non-Gulf veterans.
- To determine if skin disease is associated with disability in these veteran populations.
Main Methods:
- A prospective case comparison study design was employed.
- Participants included disabled and non-disabled Gulf veterans and disabled non-Gulf veterans, randomly selected from defined cohorts.
- Disability was assessed using the Short Form 36, and all participants underwent a blinded dermatological examination.
Main Results:
- Prevalence of skin disease was 47.7% in disabled Gulf veterans, 36.7% in non-disabled Gulf veterans, and 42.8% in disabled non-Gulf veterans.
- Seborrhoeic dermatitis showed a two-fold higher prevalence in both disabled and non-disabled Gulf veterans compared to expected rates.
Conclusions:
- Skin disease, in general, does not seem to be a primary contributor to the ill-health reported by Gulf War veterans.
- An unexplained two-fold increase in seborrhoeic dermatitis among Gulf War veterans warrants further investigation.