Profile of skin diseases in a community of fishermen in the northern coast of the state of São Paulo: the expected and the unusual

Abstract

BackgroundThe fishing colony of the Picinguaba neighborhood is located at the northern end of the coast of the state of São Paulo. It has about 300 residents, of which approximately 100 are professional fishermen.ObjectivesThis study aimed to identify the main dermatoses of the community in comparison with other populations, and their frequency.MethodsThe dermatoses were identified and tabulated for two years, in a prospective study carried out on monthly trips to the fishermen’s colony in Picinguaba.ResultsOne hundred and eighteen patients were attended and followed up, which is equivalent to about 1/3 of the colony’s inhabitants. Of these, 43 were children (under the age of 14) and 75 were adolescents and adults. The diseases observed were catalogued according to the age groups. Although most dermatoses in the community were similar with those observed in the general population, some specific cases could be seen, such as folliculitis on the legs of fishermen and an unexpected low frequency of actinic lesions in the colony, as well as dermatitis by aquatic animals.Study LimitationsThe limitations were monthly attendance and the spontaneous demand of the patients.ConclusionsThe finding of community-specific dermatoses and the low incidence of malignant and pre-malignant tumors associated with sun exposure needs further studies for better clarification.

Envenomations caused by fish in Brazil: an evolutionary, morphological, and clinical vision of a neglected problem

“…Meanwhile, stingray injuries are rare among bathers. The occurrence of local tissue trauma is important, as it leads to the disruption of the epithelial sheath, allowing the venom, present in the grooves of the stinger as a thick glandular mass, to flow into the wound [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]10,11 . The size and effectiveness of stingers in promoting envenomation vary among the stingray families found in Brazilian waters.…”

“…The risk of injuries caused by freshwater stingrays primarily affects riverside dwellers and tourists who cross small watercourses in continental waters and inadvertently step on the stingrays 10,20 .…”