A Statistical Study of Outpatients During the ten Years From 1981 to 1990

Kim, Jin Bok; Kim, Jae Hong

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The incidence of skin diseases in the university hospital cannot be a true indication of their prevalence in the population, but it offers the only available source of information on the their ecology.
OBJECTIVE
AND METHODS: To study the prevalence of common dermatoses and compare these to previous reports, we reviewed 67,924 new outpatients who visited the dermatology clinic at Hanyang University Hospital in Seoul from Jan. 1st, 1981 to Dec. 31st, 1990.
RESULTS
The results of the study are summarized as follows : 1. Among the 67,924 outpatients, the number of male patients was 32,812(48.4%) and female patients 35,112(51.6%). 2. Age distribution of patients were 17,883(26.3%) in the 3rd decade, 13,319(19.6%) in the 1st decade, 11,678(17.2%) in the 4th decade, 9,884(14.6%) in the 2nd decade in order. 3. The distribution of dermatoses as disease groups were eczema(23.9%), urticaria-drug erup-tion(13.2%), skin appendage disorder(12.9%), dermatophytosis(11.1%), viral infection(7.7%), disease due to animal parasi es(5.7%), and bacterial infection(3.8% ). 4. The 15 most common dermatoses were dermatophytosis(10.1%), contact dermatitis(8.8%), urticaria(7.8%), acne vulgaris(6.6%), other eczemas(65%), atopic dermatitis(5.0%), bacterial infections(3.8%), scabies(3.7%), seborrheic dermatitis(3.6%), drug eruptions(2.9%), verruca(2.1%), herpes zoster(1.9%), psoriasis(1.7%), syphilis(1.5%), and vitiligo(1.4%), 5. Those dermatoses which showed an annually increasing tendency were acne vulgaris, urticaria, contact dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and those of decreasing tendency were scabies, bacterial infections, syphilis, and vitiligo. 6. Dermatophytosis, urt caria, bacterial infection, seborrheic dermatitis, verruca, and vitiligo occurred frequently during the summer. The incidence of other eczemas, scabies, atopic dermatitis, and her pes zoster increased during the winter, 7. In sexual distribution, dermatophytosis, scabies, seborrheic dermatitis were more frequent in the males, whereas contact dermatitis, urticaria, other eczemas, acne vulgaris, and herpes zoster were more frequent in the females. 8. In age distribution, atopic dermatitis and bacterial infections were the most frequent in the 1st decade. Acne vulgans, syphilis, psoriasis, verruca, and dermatophytosis were the most frequent in the 3rd decade, with scabies and vitiligo in the 2nd decade, and herpes zoster in the 7th decade.
CONCLUSION
The distribution of skin diseases in our hospital showed similar with reported studies in other areas. Comparing these results with an Bang's report 10 year ago in Seoul, there was relative high incidence of viral infections compared to the low incidence of bacterial infections.