When Psychiatric Diseases Speak Skin: About 78 Patients in a Medical Caravan

Introduction: Dermatologists often face a psychiatric comorbidity of their patients. The question is: is this association bidirectional? Materials and method: The study concerned patients hospitalized in the department of psychiatry of Hassan II CHU of Fez during a medical caravan. All patients were examined by two dermatologists. Results: Of 78 hospitalized patients, we recorded 51 cases of dermatosis disease. The average age was 36.4 years old. Sex ratio F/M: 1,04. 41% of the patients consumed toxic substances. Psychiatric diseases were psychosis (67%) dominated by schizophrenia. The neurosis represented (33%) with a predominance of the major depressive disorder. Six groups of dermatoses were distinguished: hygiene-related dermatosis dominated by infectious disease (51%), skin diseases aggravated by mental disorders (29.4%), psychic disorders secondary to dermatosis (25.5%), psychic disorders responsible for skin disorders (15.7%) and cases of association with no apparent relation (9.8%). Only one case of urticaria induced by drug consumption was noted. Some dermatoses were listed in two groups simultaneously. Discussion: The collaboration between the psychiatrist and the dermatologist is essential given the presence of links between the skin and the psyche and the resulting clinical implication, in order to improve the overall care for both types of pathologies.