A study of geriatric dermatoses

A total of 200 patients aged 55 years and above were studied for cutaneous changes associated with ageing. The majority of patients (66%) were found to be in the age group of 55 to 64 years, of these 63% were males and 37% females. Pruritus was the commonest complaint in 78.5%. A variety of cutaneous lesions were observed. The commonest were cherry angiomas, seborrhoeic keratosis and naevus cell naevi. Not a single case of cutaneous malignancy was seen. Only 34.5% of the total dermatoses were found to be of infective aetiology. Diabetes was the most commonly associated systemic ailment. A psychosomatic background was observed in nearly 9.5% of the cases.