Juvenile plantar dermatosis in Singapore

Juvenile plantar dermatosis (JPD) is the most common form of foot dermatitis in children in Singapore. Sixty-four patients (29 boys) with an age range of 2-25 years were studied. The Chinese have a greater predisposition for JPD compared with the Malays and Indians. The mean age of onset was 8 years, but onset in adulthood is not uncommon. Friction and closed shoes are the main aggravating factors. Association with an atopic history (42%) and ichthyosis vulgaris (19%) is reported. Patch testing was not rewarding. The histology was essentially a subacute dermatitis. Women with no atopic background, in whom the type of shoes made no difference and had a family member with a similar dermatosis, tend to have a more prolonged course of disease.