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Subject Area

Family Medicine

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Objective The aim was to study the prevalence of common dermatological problems in patients with β-thalassemia major to help rapid treatment and prevent complications. Background β-Thalassemia major affects multiple organs and is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. In β-thalassemia, a wide spectrum of skin diseases was identified, which were caused by both the hemoglobin disorder and the complications of treatment. Patients and methods This cross-sectional study included 105 Egyptian patients (50 female individuals and 55 male individuals) with transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia major in the period spanning from June 2017 to February 2018. The study was performed on child and adult patients of β-thalassemia who presented to the hematology clinic, Menoufia University hospital. Skin examination of each patient was carried out, and any skin disease present was recorded. Results The main skin disorders that were noticed in decreasing order of frequency were pruritus (34.4%), xerosis (24.8%), urticaria (21.1%), freckles (17.1%), tinea infections (11.6%), pitriasis alba reported in 10.5%, scars (10.5%), hypersensitivity to deferoxamine pump (9.5%), herpes simplex (9.5%), acne vulgaris (8.6%), miliaria (6.7%), contact dermatitis (4.8%). Conclusion Skin diseases were frequent among patients with β-thalassemia major. The most common skin lesions in our patients were pruritus, xerosis, and hyperpigmentation. Careful skin examination of thalassemia patients is required to provide early diagnosis of dermatological diseases and a better quality of life.

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