Skin disorders among elderly population without comorbidities: a hospital based study

Abstract

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Aging is a permanent and progressive degenerative process which affects all organs of the body, including skin. There is a structural and physiologic transformation that arises as a result of intrinsic aging along with extrinsic damage which makes elderly skin more vulnerable to dermatologic disorders. In this study, we set out to determine the frequency and pattern of dermatological diseases in geriatric patients without chronic systemic illness and comorbidities like diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cardiac illness.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> We enrolled 350 patients of the age 60 years and above who were not suffering from any chronic systemic disease for the study. Baseline information and clinical examination were done to make the diagnosis.<strong></strong></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> The male: female ratio in our study was 1.14:1. The mean age of presentation was 68 year. The minimum age of patient was 60 years and maximum was 92 years. The most frequently encountered diseases in patients were eczematous dermatitis, fungal infections, scabies, xerosis and pruritus. Among eczemas, seborrheic dermatitis was the most common. Very few patients of solar lentigenes, skin tags and seborrheic keratosis came for dermatological consultation.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Eczemas were the most common dermatological disease in elderly in our study and pruritus was the most frequent complaint for which elderly visited skin Out Patient Department. Most of the diseases could possibly have been prevented.</p>