Tropical skin diseases in British military personnel

Abstract

Skin complaints are common in travellers to foreign countries and are responsible for up to 25% of medical consultations by military personnel during deployments in the tropics. They also have relatively high rates of field hospital admission, medical evacuation and referral to UK Role 4 healthcare facilities. Non-infectious tropical skin diseases include sunburn, heat rash, arthropod bites, venomous bites, contact dermatitis and phytophotodermatitis. During tropical deployments skin infections that commonly occur in military personnel may become more frequent, severe and difficult to treat. Several systemic tropical infections have cutaneous features that can be useful in making early diagnoses. Tropical skin infections such as cutaneous larva migrans, cutaneous myiasis, cutaneous leishmaniasis and leprosy do occur in British troops and require specialist clinical management. This illustrated review focuses on the most significant tropical skin diseases that have occurred in British military personnel in recent years. Clinical management of these conditions on deployments would be improved and medical evacuations could be reduced if a military dermatology 'reach-back' service (including a telemedicine facility) was available.

Prevalence of skin diseases in civilian and military population in a Turkish military hospital in the central Black Sea region

“…In tropical and sub-tropical climate, oral herpes infections and genital warts can relapse frequently 1. We found no difference in the prevalence of viral infections between both groups.…”

“…Epidemiological data are significant for investigating disease trends and planning healthcare programmes. Skin diseases are common in military populations and are responsible for 25% of all medical consultations by military personnel on deployments 1 2. There are 41 military hospitals in Turkey attached to the General Staff and a 2012 feasibility report regarding these hospitals opened them to civilians, although most military personnel were unsure whether they fulfilled the expectations of civilian patients or not.…”

Dermatomycoses in the Israeli defense forces—Epidemiological and clinical aspects

“…The specific conditions associated with army activities, such as use of closed high shoes and uniforms, intensive physical activity and environmental conditions, all of which may act as predisposing factors for dermal infections in general and specifically for fungal dermal involvement . However, regardless of the known factors for higher tendency of soldiers to develop dermal mycoses, the medical literature on this subject is not extensive …”

Novel porcine model of cutaneous myiasis: a training tool for healthcare workers

“…Thus in this series, approximately one in 200 post-travel consultations were for cutaneous myiasis. The British Army frequently exercises overseas, and in particular soldiers exercising in the Belize jungle are known to be at risk of developing botfly infestation 3. Thus, rates may be substantially higher than one in 200 post-travel consultations in specific populations such as the military.…”