The demographical and clinical characteristics of the patiens with pityriasis rosea

The clinical and demographical characteristics of the patients with pityriasis rosea were investigated in this study.A total of 78 patients, who were diagnosed as pityriasis rosea, applied to the Dicle University Medical Faculty Dermatology Department, between October 2007 and September 2009 were evaluated. The age of patients was changed between 5 and 57 years. The patients were examined prospectively in terms of their ages, genders, jobs, the beginning season of the disease, the presence of previous upper respiratory tract infection and prodromal symptom, the presence of primary plaque, localization, its shape and number, the localization of secondary lesions, the presence of pityriasis rosea which are atypical, the previous drug exposure, involving the oral mucosa, the duration of disease, the presence of subjective symptoms, the administered treatments, and the differential diagnosis.The data were evaluated with SPSS 16.0 and analyzed with x² (Chi Square) statistic method.The study included 78 patients, fifty of whom were women (64.1%) and twenty eight of whom were men (35.9%). The rate of women to men was found to be 1.78:1. The average age of the patients was 26.12±11.79 year. The highest rate of the disease was observed among the teachers and students who have to live together as crowded groups. According to the beginning season of the disease, it was determined more common in autumn (39.7%) and in spring (26.9%). The family history of pityriasis rosea or close environment exposure was determined in 5 of the patients (6.4%). The history of drug use was determined in 35 (44.9%) patients before the occurrence of the disease. The history of upper respiratory tract infection before pityriasis rosea was determined in 26 cases (33.3%). Primary plaque was determined in 56 cases (71.8%). The average interval between primary plaque and secondary eruption was determined 7.24 days. Oral mucosa involvement was observed in 3 cases (3.8%). Seventeen patients (21.8%) were diagnosed as atypical pityriasis rosea. The recurrence rate of the disease was 5.12%.The demographic results of our study were consistent with the results of the other reported studies in Turkey. The atypical morphology (21.8%) and recurrence rate (5.12%) were detected to be higher from those of the reported studies until now.Key words: Pityriasis rosea, demographical characteristics, clinical characteristics