TMSS Medical College Journal

Background: The pattern of skin diseases is a vital part of the education of medical science. In developing countries like Bangladesh, skin diseases arc very prevalent. On the other hand, difference in environment and climate, skin disease pattern differs from one country to another and even crosswise diverse parts within the same country. The prevalence of skin disease varies from 11.16 % to 63 % in overall population and this prevalence differs in different ages of the residents of the same country. Aim of the study: This study aimed to assess the pattern of skin diseases in patients attending the outpatient department (OPD) dermatology and venercology at the TMSS Medical College and Rafatullah Community Hospital, Bogura, Bangladesh. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that was conducted in the outpatient department of dermatology and venereology at the TMSS Medical College and Rafatullah Community Hospital, Bogura, Bangladesh from January 2022 to December 2022. In total 3302 patients of skin diseases were enrolled in this study as the study subjects. A purposive sampling technique was used in sample selection. All the demographic and clinical information were recorded. All data were processed, analyzed and disseminated by using the MS Office program. Results: In this study among the total of 3302 participants, 42% (n=1357) were male whereas the rest 58% (n=1845) were female. So, the male-female ratio of the respondents was 1:1.4. The mean +SD age of the patients was 38.38 11.46 years. As per the major distribution of skin disease among our participants, we found more than one-third of our participants (37%) were with fungal disease which was the highest proportion of a single skin disease. Besides, eczema, urticaria, disturbances of pigmentation and scabies was found in 22%, 9%, 7% and 6% cases respectively which were also noticeable. Among some other skin disease patients, acne vulgaris cases were 212 in number which contributed 6.42% of the total study population. Conclusion: Fungal disease of the skin is very frequent among patients who attended the outpatient department (OPD) of dermatology and venercology at the TMSS Medical College and Rafatullah Community Hospital, Bogura, Bangladesh during January,22 to December,22. The frequency of eczema, urticaria, disturbances of pigmentation and scabies are also noticeable among those patients.

The pattern of skin diseases in any community is affected by the genetic constitution, socioeconomic status, climate, occupations, education, customs, hygiene standards and quality of medical care. These factors give every community its unique pattern and account for a wide variation reported from different regions of the globe and even in the same country.' Though community-based researches are the best option to determine such patterns, they are difficult to carry out. Usually, most of the studies are based on hospital attendance. The importance of studying such patterns in developing countries is to build healthcare strategies that cope with the respective community requirements as well as the actual needs of citizens. It is remarkable that most of the patterns in developing countries reveal a predominance of transmissible diseases like skin diseases that are potentially controllable.” Bangladesh has a huge variation in religion, climate, socioeconomic conditions and customs in different parts of this country.’ In developing countries, apart from hot-humid climatic conditions, inadequate hygiene, poor access to water, overcrowding, and high interpersonal contact also play prominent etiological roles in specific skin diseases like pyoderma, scabies and fungal infection.* In a study, it was found that, in developing countries, 70% of people suffer from any skin disease in some tenures of their lives.” In such countries, a lot of patients do not have the scope to use essential skin services, and even in developed countries, about 15% of the patients use only traditional home remedies before taking proper medical services.S In Bangladesh, the epidemiology of this disease is poorly understood in low socio-economic people.’ In Indian subcontinent, infectious skin diseases are more common than non-infectious diseases.” On the other hand, dermatitis is more common in Denmark, Egypt and Singapore and pre-malignant as well as malignant skin diseases are very common in the United Kingdom. 1! To reduce this disease burden, awareness development on the etiology, pattern as well as prevention of skin diseases is very necessary.” The objective of this current study was to assess the pattern of skin diseases in patients attending OPD of the dermatology and venereology department at the TMSS Medical College and Rafatullah Community Hospital, Bogura, Bangladesh.