Pattern of skin diseases in Cairo, Egypt

Information on patterns of skin diseases in Egypt is scanty.

The medical records of patients attending dermatology outpatient clinics at Ain Shams University Hospitals from January 2001 to December 2001 were retrieved. Valid data of 7528 patients were included in the study. Demographic data (age and sex) and diagnoses of skin disease were extracted, coded, and analyzed.

Patients' attendance revealed mean age of 23.5 ± 15.6 years and female predominance in a female to male ratio of 1.6:1. Most patients presented in summer (40.7%). Infections constituted most of the dermatoses (45.4%), and scabies was the most common disease (9.26%). Hypersensitivity diseases came after (22%) and, interestingly, the dermatitis subgroup (12.94%) followed fungal infections (15.83%) immediately, preceding other infection subgroups. Females predominated in most dermatoses. Urticaria predominated in infants, bacterial infections in preschool stage, fungal infections in school and young adult stages, and dermatitis in old adult and geriatric stages. Fungal infections predominated in all seasons. The peak presentation of all diseases was in summer except urticaria that was represented more in spring.

Dermatitis preceded many infectious diseases as an index of the development and urbanization of a community. However, infections still represent the most common dermatoses. Fortunately, they are potentially controllable and, therefore, healthcare strategies that target infections may represent the key for an efficient national healthcare program.