Pattern of Skin Diseases at King Khalid National Guard Hospital: A 12-Month Prospective Study

Abstract

. Jeddah is the major city in the Western region, with an approximate population of two million. The city is located on the Red Sea, and has a hot climate, with daily temperatures ranging from 15-43°C. throughout the year, with high humidity at times and only occasional rainfall. The King Khalid National Guard Hospital is one of the major government hospitals in the region catering for national guard military personnel and their families, as well as non-national guard patients. The hospital offers secondary and tertiary care, and is equipped with modern sophisticated facilities. Materials and MethodsThis was a prospective study that included all new patients attending the Skin Clinic at King Khalid National Guard Hospital during the study period. All patients were seen by consultants and specialists. The diagnosis in each case was based on clinical findings, and histopathological examination of skin biopsies where necessary. The diseases were classified into nine major groups, according to the ninth revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9). ResultsDuring the 12-month study period, the total number of patients attending the Dermatology and Venereology Outpatient Clinic at the hospital was 5260. Of this number, 910 (17.3%) were new patients. There were 782 adult (>12 years) patients (85.93%) and 128 children (<12 years) (13.79%). There were 418 males (45.93%) and 492 females (54.06%), with a female/male ratio of 1.2:1. Saudi nationals constituted the majority of patients at 860 (94.5%) with non-Saudis numbering only 50 (5.49%). National Guard personnel comprised 149 (16.36%), their families 367 (40.33%), and non-National Guard patients were 394 (43.29%).A total of 928 new diagnoses were seen during the study period. These were classified into nine categories according to the frequency of presentation. Table 1 shows the main disease groups, of which eczema/dermatitis topped the list (18.64%), followed by acne (9.48%), viral infections (9.26%), bacterial infections (7.65%), pigmentary disorders (6.46%), fungal infections (6.35%), papulosquamous diseases (4.84%), and urticaria (2.37%). Miscellaneous skin conditions were diagnosed in the remaining 328 patients (34.9%), and disorders of hair and pruritus were the most common. DiscussionThe current study is the first to describe the patterns of skin diseases in the Western region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The King Khalid Hospital is a referral center for primary health clinics in Jeddah, Makkah and Taif. Although this study was limited to our hospital, we believe that the results represent a rough estimate of the prevalence of skin diseases in the Western region, and that the distribution of dermatoses according to age and sex reflect the true prevalence (as both the referral and the eligibility systems of the hospital apply no specific restrictions).

The pattern of skin diseases in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia: What the primary care physician should know

“…Our results have shown that infections, eczema/dermatitis, pilosebaceous disorders, pigmentary lesions and hair disorders ranked among the top 5 skin diseases (Figure 2). The results of this study are comparable to those of other studies from Riyadh, Abha, Jouf, Hail, Jeddah, Najran, the Eastern Province and the Asir region of Saudi Arabia 235891213. These studies have reported a similar pattern of skin diseases in Saudi patients.…”

Pattern of skin diseases in patients attended OPD of Dermatology and Venereology in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Bangladesh

“…This finding was similar with that of other studies. 5,6 The prevalence of various skin diseases varies according to geographical area and usually related to many factors including race, environment and socioeconomic factors of populations. In the present study, we found that eczema (23.7%) was the commonest skin disorder.…”

“…This result was similar to that of others. 3,[6][7][8][9][10][11] Fungal infections were the second largest group of disorders seen in 15.5% of patients. The warm and highly humid climate of the country contributed to the higher proportion of fungal infections in this population.…”

Prevailing Misconceptions of Vitiligo among Saudi School Children

“…(1) The incidence of vitiligo at King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was 2.5% for the period from [1985][1986][1987][1988][1989][1990], the majority (96.1%) were Saudis, (2) the disease has a worldwide prevalence ranging from 0.5% to 2%. (3) It can affect any age of both sex. (4,5) Vitiligo is an ancient disease as mentioned in the Holy Quran when stating 'Eesa that he cures the born blind and the patient with Baras (vitiligo).…”