Dermatological and epidemiological profile of patients with albinism in Togo in 2019: results of two consultation campaigns

Abstract

Background People with albinism (PWA) are targets of prejudice and social exclusion and have limited access to specialized medical care and resources. Our study aimed to describe the epidemiological and dermatological profile of PWA in Togo. Method We carried out a cross‐sectional study of 294 medical records of PWA systematically examined during two mobile skin care clinics in 2019. Results The mean age of the patients was 22 ± 16.5 years, and the gender ratio (M/F) was 1. A family history of albinism was reported in 27.9% of cases, and consanguinity between the parents was found in 24.1% of PWA. Dermatological lesions on physical examination were present in 95.2% of PWA. These lesions were elastosis/wrinkles (82.9%), ephelides (79.6%), actinic keratoses (60.0%), actinic cheilitis (50.0%), and cutaneous carcinomas (11.8%). The mean age of PWA with skin carcinomas was 38.6 years. Fifty‐four cases of cutaneous carcinomas had been diagnosed (31 cases of basal cell carcinoma, 21 cases of squamous cell carcinoma, and 2 cases of Bowen's disease) and were located mainly in the cephalic region (61.1%) and upper limbs (27.8%). Cryotherapy and/or excisional biopsies were the treatments for premalignant and malignant lesions. All PWA were sensitized on sun protection. Conclusions This study shows the basic picture of dermatological characteristics of PWA with a high frequency of photo‐induced lesions and skin cancers. The popularization and respect of photoprotection measures and regular skin examination of these PWA for early detection and management of lesions will reduce their morbidity and mortality.

Evaluation of the acceptance and efficacy of a bespoke sun protection package for persons with oculocutaneous albinism living in Malawi

“…The mean age of 24.5 years in our study aligns with the mean ages reported in previous studies 3,10,11 While it is encouraging that almost 80% of the participants used sunscreen at baseline, more than 40% were applying it in the evening, when it would be less effective. By the end of the study, there was a significant improvement in understanding of the risks of sun exposure, an alignment between the knowledge acquired and the habits and attitudes toward the sun.…”

“…Many PWA develop advanced skin cancers in the third to fourth decade of life. 2,3 Measures to minimize sun damage are necessary to prevent avoidable deaths. These include: sun avoidance, wearing sun protective clothing, and regular application of sunscreens 4 as well as regular clinical review to detect and treat early skin cancers.…”

Actinic keratosis as a predictor of primary multiple synchronous squamous cell skin cancer: a clinical case

“…К факторам риска возникновения актинического кератоза и актинического хейлита относят: избыточное кумулятивное ультрафиолетовое излучение; профессиональную деятельность и профессиональные вредности; отягощенный солнечный анамнез; I и II типы фоточувствительности кожи по Фитцпатрику; актинические поражения кожи и рубцы; генетические заболевания; рентгеновское и/или инфракрасное излучение; иммуносупрессию и иммунодефицитные состояния; низкий социально-экономический статус пациента; курение [1][2][3][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13].…”

“…Известно, что у реципиентов трансплантатов первично-множественный ПКР кожи развивается в 31% случаев [2,3,5,15]. При отягощенном личном онкологическом анамнезе по раку кожи темп малигнизации очагов актинического кератоза составляет 0,53% в год [4,11]. У пациентов с генетическими синдромами плоскоклеточная карцинома развивается в более молодом возрасте.…”

“…В частности, у больных с пигментной ксеродермой риск малигнизации актинического кератоза повышен в 1000 раз, при этом регистрируют первично-множественный рак лица и губы. У пациентов с кожно-глазным альбинизмом ПКР открытых участков кожи встречается в 38,9% случаев [2,11,12].…”