The pattern of skin diseases in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia: What the primary care physician should know

摘要

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Epidemiological studies to determine the burden of skin diseases are important for proper health care planning. The purpose of this study was to find the pattern of skin diseases in our patients attending university-affiliated dermatologic clinics in the Qassim region. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study of all Saudi patients attending the Qassim University Medical College-affiliated dermatology clinics of the Ministry of Health for a period of 12 months from 1 March 2008 to 28 February 2009. RESULTS: The study included 3051 patients comprising 1786 (58.5%) males and 1265 (41.5%) females. Males outnumbered females ( P CONCLUSION: Infectious skin diseases, eczema/dermatitis, pilosebaceous disorders, pigmentary lesions and hair disorders ranked as the top five skin diseases. Appropriate training programs for diagnosing and managing common skin diseases should be initiated for primary health care physicians and other general practitioners so as to decrease referrals to dermatology clinics.