Knowledge, perception, and practice of patients about pityriasis versicolor in Kaduna, North Central Nigeria

Although pityriasis versicolor (PV) is a common fungal infection of the skin affecting up to 50% of the population in the tropics, little is known about what patients know, believe, or feel about the condition.

In a cross-sectional questionnaire study of 608 consecutive patients attending the General Outpatient Department and Skin Clinic of a public hospital in Kaduna, Nigeria, self-report of PV, knowledge about its causes, treatments used by patients, and perception and feelings about the condition were assessed.

Overall 608 patients were studied (239/594 [40.2%] males, 355/594 [59.8%] females, age 11-49 years, mean ± SD age of 29.3 ± 10.1). Lifetime self-report prevalence of PV was 271/606 (44.7%) (males: 117/239 [50.0%] females: 148/355 [41.7%] P = 0.09). Three hundred and twenty-seven of 608 (53.8%) patients believed PV was transmitted from another person while 204/608 (33.6%) believed the condition was caused by poor personal hygiene. One hundred and thirty of 608 (21.4%) thought PV was caused by fungi living on the skin. Virtually all respondents who had PV had used at least one preparation with more than half visiting a healthcare facility. A total of 305/608 (50.2%), 189/608 (31.1%), and 142/608 (23.4%) respondents reported feeling or likely feeling uncomfortable, embarrassed, or ashamed, respectively, about PV. Being considered a dirty person (45.6%) and being avoided by other people (28%) were common concerns of respondents.

Most patients did not know what caused PV, and many were uncomfortable, embarrassed, and ashamed, and feared being considered dirty and avoided by others.