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Mucocutaneous disorders in children with down syndrome: case-controlled study
S Gunes Bilgili1, N Akdeniz, A S Karadag
1Department of Dermatology, Yüzüncü Yil University, Faculty of Medicine, Van, Turkey. drserapgunes@yahoo.com
Insights
Children with Down syndrome (DS) have a higher prevalence of mucocutaneous disorders, including xerosis and Mongolian spots. Early identification and management of these skin conditions in DS patients are crucial for improved health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Genetics
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Down syndrome (DS) is the most common chromosomal anomaly, affecting multiple organ systems, including the skin.
- Mucocutaneous disorders are frequently observed in individuals with DS, impacting their quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the frequency of mucocutaneous disorders in children with Down syndrome versus healthy children.
- To identify common and rare dermatological conditions associated with Down syndrome.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 50 children with Down syndrome and 50 healthy controls.
- Systematic examination of mucocutaneous abnormalities in both groups.
Main Results:
- Xerosis and Mongolian spots were the most prevalent skin findings in children with DS.
- Seborrheic dermatitis, cheilitis, and fissured tongue were also significantly more common in the DS group (p<0.05).
- Rare findings included plantar hyperkeratosis, alopecia areata, and various infections.
Conclusions:
- Children with Down syndrome exhibit a significantly higher prevalence of specific mucocutaneous disorders compared to healthy individuals.
- Further large-scale epidemiological studies are needed to better understand and manage dermatological conditions in children with DS.
Objective:
Down's syndrome is the most frequent chromosomal anomaly that can affect a multiple organ systems, including skin. In this study, we compared the frequency of mucocutaneous disorders in children with Down's syndrome with normal children.
Methods:
We recruited fifty children with Down's syndrome and 50 healthy children as a control in our study. Mucocutaneous abnormalities were examined in both groups.
Fundings:
Of 50 patients, 22 were girls and 28 were boys. The skin findings such as xerosis and Mongolian spots were the most frequently seen in the patients with Down's syndrome. Seborrheic dermatitis, cheilitis and fissured tongue were seen frequently, as well. The rare findings were plantar hyperkeratosis, alopecia areata, geographic tongue, café-au-lait macula, livedo reticularis, cutaneous infections, pityriasis capitis simplex, cutis marmorata, neurotic excoriation, trichotillomania, keratosis pilaris and diaper dermatitis. No mucocutaneous finding was seen in 16 patients. The prevalence of the skin disorders including Mongolian spot, seborrheic dermatitis, cheilitis, fissured tongue was significantly higher in patients with Down syndrome than normal individuals (p<0.05).
Conclusion:
Therefore, large-scaled epidemiological studies covering the entire population are needed. We believe that these studies could provide better understanding the dermatological diseases in children with Down's syndrome that would help to practitioners to treat these problems.
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