A clinico-epidemiological study of pediatric dermatoses in tertiary care centre, Ujjain

Introduction: Skin diseases in pediatric age are common health problem with wide variation in the presentation in various regions. Pediatric dermatoses differs from adult dermatoses in clinical presentation, treatment and prognosis. This variation among dermatoses is due to region of study, environmental factors, type of population studied, hygiene, nutritional status. Objectives: To determine the clinical pattern of dermatological disorders and their prevalence in pediatric population. Material and Methods: The present study was hospital based cross-sectional observational study, conducted in department of dermatology, venereology and leprosy, R. D. Gardi Medical College Ujjain over a period of one year. A total of 160 cases with age 0-15 yrs, who presented in our OPD/IPD were included in this study. A detailed general, cutaneous and systemic examination followed by investigations were carried out and recorded in proforma for analysis and interpretation of data. Results: Out of all the subjects recruited, 53.1% were males and 46.9% were females with M:F ratio1.13:1. The maximum no. of patients were in the age group of 7-9 years (26.9%). Etiological analysis revealed that infections and infestations were the most common dermatoses (48.8%) followed by dermatitis and eczemas (15.5%), papulosquamous disorder (8.8%), pigmentary disorders (6.9%), keratinization disorders (4.4%), urticaria (3.1%), nevoid disorders (3.1%), miliaria (1.9%), vascular malformations (1.9%) and others (3.8%). Conclusion: Dermatoses in children is wide spread problem responsible for significant morbidity in them. Infections and infestations were most prevalent dermatoses possibly due to poverty, overcrowding, under nutrition, poor hygiene and lack of health education.