Pattern of Childhood Dermatoses at a Teaching Hospital of Saudi
Abstract
Objective: To determine the pattern of childhood dermatoses in Eastern province of
Saudi Arabia (SA), in the setting of a university-affiliated hospital, and to compare this
with other similar surveys conducted in SA.
Methods: This is a retrospective study of pediatric patients attending the outpatient
dermatology clinic and dermatology emergency room at King Fahad Hospital of the
University, Al-Khobar, SA, over a period of 24 months from January 2004 to January
2006. All new pediatric patients less than 13 years of age were included. The patient's
age, sex, nationality and diagnosis were extracted from the medical records and analyzed.
Then our data were compared with previous hospital based surveys conducted in SA.
Results: During the study period, a total of 11365 new patients were seen, including 383
pediatric patients. Pediatric consultations represent 3.4% of all dermatology consultation.
The three leading causes for consultation were dermatitis and eczema (30.3%), followed
by viral infections (12.5%), and pigmentary disorders (8.9%). Among dermatitis, atopic
dermatitis was the most predominant condition (50%). Among viral infections, viral wart
was the most frequent (70.8%). Comparing our data with a previous hospital survey
conducted in the same region showed similar pattern with minor differences. Comparing
our findings with other reports from Najran (Southern SA) and Al-Jouf (Northern SA)
showed that dermatitis was the most frequent group of diseases in the three regions. It
was followed by viral infections in Al-Khobar and Najran, and pyodermas in Al-Jouf.
The third most frequent groups were pigmentary disorders in Al-Khobar and Najran, and
viral infections in Al-Jouf.
Conclusion: The majority of childhood dermatoses in various regions of SA may be
grouped into relatively few diagnostic categories including eczema, infections, and
pigmentary disorders.
Saudi Arabia (SA), in the setting of a university-affiliated hospital, and to compare this
with other similar surveys conducted in SA.
Methods: This is a retrospective study of pediatric patients attending the outpatient
dermatology clinic and dermatology emergency room at King Fahad Hospital of the
University, Al-Khobar, SA, over a period of 24 months from January 2004 to January
2006. All new pediatric patients less than 13 years of age were included. The patient's
age, sex, nationality and diagnosis were extracted from the medical records and analyzed.
Then our data were compared with previous hospital based surveys conducted in SA.
Results: During the study period, a total of 11365 new patients were seen, including 383
pediatric patients. Pediatric consultations represent 3.4% of all dermatology consultation.
The three leading causes for consultation were dermatitis and eczema (30.3%), followed
by viral infections (12.5%), and pigmentary disorders (8.9%). Among dermatitis, atopic
dermatitis was the most predominant condition (50%). Among viral infections, viral wart
was the most frequent (70.8%). Comparing our data with a previous hospital survey
conducted in the same region showed similar pattern with minor differences. Comparing
our findings with other reports from Najran (Southern SA) and Al-Jouf (Northern SA)
showed that dermatitis was the most frequent group of diseases in the three regions. It
was followed by viral infections in Al-Khobar and Najran, and pyodermas in Al-Jouf.
The third most frequent groups were pigmentary disorders in Al-Khobar and Najran, and
viral infections in Al-Jouf.
Conclusion: The majority of childhood dermatoses in various regions of SA may be
grouped into relatively few diagnostic categories including eczema, infections, and
pigmentary disorders.
Ben Saif, G. A., & Al Shehab, S. A. (2008). Pattern of Childhood Dermatoses at a Teaching Hospital of Saudi. International Journal of Health Sciences, 2(2). Retrieved from https://ijhs.qu.edu.sa/index.php/journal/article/view/51
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