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Subject Area

Family Medicine

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Objective The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of the most common dermatological conditions in elderly patients and to investigate their associations with systemic diseases. Background Skin problems in the elderly population have rarely been the subject of scientific research. Patients and methods The study involved a group of 260 consecutive patients aged more than or equal to 60 years who were admitted to the Departments of Dermatology at the study institution. All participants were thoroughly evaluated in a clinical interview and physical examination in which special emphasis was placed on dermatological issues. Results All patients presented at least one dermatological condition. A significant correlation was found between the number of systemic diseases and the number of different skin lesions observed. The most common skin diseases presented in our study are dermatitis (24.2%), fungal infections (17.6%), papulosquamous lesions (11.5%), and immunobullous diseases (7.3%).Female cases showed significantly higher rate of fungal infections, hair and nail diseases, connective tissue diseases, and dermatitis but also lower rate of immunobullous diseases and bacterial diseases when compared with males. Conclusion Skin disorders are common in elderly people. Systemic diseases promote the development of dermatological conditions. A comprehensive approach to health problems in elderly patients requires knowledge of dermatology.

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