Prevalence of skin conditions among pediatric patients in the region of Düzce

Aim: Pediatric dermatology is a new area in our country. We studied the prevalence of skin disorders and the distribution of skin disorders according to sociodemographic features in pediatric patients applying to our policlinic and tried to contribute to epidemiological data. Material and Methods: : Age, gender and address informations of 300 pediatric patients admitted to Dermatology Department of Medical Faculty in University of Düzce, between October 2013 and April 2014 were recorded. Patients were grouped into two categories as residents in urban areas and residents in rural areas. Also, patients were divided into four age groups and the most common skin disorders in each age group were determined. Results: 300 patients were aged between 16 month and 16 years old and was mean of 8,83 (±5,15) year age. In the study group, 152 of patients were female (% 50,7), 148 of patients were male (% 49,3). Female to male ratio was 1,02. The mean age of female and male was 9,23 (±4,79) year and 8,42 (±5,48) year. Infectious disorders (% 24,7) were the most common disorders, fallowed by eczema (% 23) and acne (% 17). The most common disorder was eczema aged 0-2 years, infectious disorders were aged 3-5 years and 6-10 years and acne was aged 11-16 years. The rate of infectious disorders was significantly higher in rural areas. Conclusion: The prevalence of infectious diseases were the highest in Düzce. However, our study is a short-term, sectional study. Studies that more patients enrolled are needed. The new studies would be helpful in understanding the prevalence of pediatric skin disorders and planning the preventive measures.