Abstract

D. D. Atraide, M. R. Akpa and I. O. George*

We analyzed the data of patients with skin disorders attending the Dermatology Clinic of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Port Harcourt, Nigeria with the aim of identifying common skin disorders in our community. All patients attending the Dermatology Clinic of the UPTH, Nigeria from January 2005 to December 2008 were included in this retrospective analysis. The medical records of the patients (dermographics, history, physical examination and laboratory investigations) were analysed to ascertain the diagnosis. All patients were evaluated by qualified dermatologists. A total of 1,333 patients attended the Dermatology Clinic of UPTH. There were more females 812 (60.9%) than males 521 (39.1%). More than three quarter of the cases were aged above 16 years while less than a quarter were children below 16 years. Infectious diseases 317 (23.8%), mostly fungal 207 (15.5%) were the most common cause for attendance, followed by dermatitis 207 (15.5%) and pigmentary disorders 98 (7.4%). Preventable skin diseases are common in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Health education is therefore necessary to curb their spread, reduce the associated morbidity, and improve the health status of the population. Effort should be made to train health workers in the diagnosis and treatment of the more common dermatologic conditions.