BACKGROUND: The incidence of skin diseases in the university hospital may not be a true indication of their province in the population, but it offers the only available source of information. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: To study the prevalence of common dermatoses and to compare these with previous reports, we have reviewed 17,039 new outpatients who had visited the Department of Dermatology of Wonju Christian Hospital from 1995 to 1999 and have analyzed statistically. RESULTS: The study results are summarized as follows: 1. Among the 17,039 outpatients, the total number of male is 8,049(47.2%) and that of female patients is 8,990(52.8%). 2. In age distribution, the most frequent age group is first decade(21.6%), second decade(14.4%), third decade(19.0%) presenting 55% of the total outpatients. 3. The 15 most common dermatoses include dermatophytosis, atopic dermatitis, urticaria, acne, other eczema, allergic contact dermatitis, herpes zoster, verruca, seborrheic dermatitis, alopecia, irritant contact dermatitis, drug eruption, psoriasis, hypopigmentary disorder and bacterial infection. 4. Those dermatoses which have showed decreasing tendency since 1995 are seborrheic dermatitis and drug eruption and since 1996 atopic dermatitis, urticaria, acne, verruca, irritant contact dermatitis and psoriasis. There was no significant annual difference in incidence among other eczema, allergic contact dermatitis, herpes zoster, alopecia and bacterial infection. 5. Disease which shows high seasonal distribution in summer are dermatophytosis, urticaria, hypopigmentary disorder, irritant contact dermatitis and bacterial infection but atopic dermatitis and psoriasis show high incidence in the winter period. 6. In sexual distribution, dermatophytosis, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, alopecia, and bacterial infection show high frequency in the males, whereas acne, allergic contact dermatitis, other eczema, irritant contact dermatitis, drug eruption, and herpes zoster in female. 7. In age distribution, atopic dermatitis, verruca, irritant contact dermatitis and bacterial infection were the most frequent in the first decade and hypopigmentary disorder in the second decade. Urticaria, acne, allergic contact dermatitis, alopecia, drug eruption and psoriasis were the most frequent in the third decade, dermatophytosis, other eczema and seborrheic dermatitis in the fourth decade, and herpes zoster in the sixth decade. 8. In the distribution of dermatoses as disease groups, eczema(21.7%), viral infection(12.0%), diseases of the skin appendages(11.5%), erythema, urticaria and drug eruption(10.2%), dermatophytosis(9.3%), pruritus and neurocutaneous disease(4.4%) and pigment anomaly(4.2%), constituted 73.3% of the total. CONCLUSION: The distribution of skin disease in our hospital showed the similarity with studies reported in other areas. Comparing these results with an Won's report and Song's report in the same area before, there was relative low incidence of dermatoses due to animal parasites.
Acne Vulgaris ; Age Distribution ; Alopecia ; Animals ; Bacterial Infections ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Dermatitis, Seborrheic ; Dermatology ; Drug Eruptions ; Eczema ; Epidemiology ; Erythema ; Female ; Gangwon-do ; Herpes Zoster ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Outpatients ; Parasites ; Prevalence ; Pruritus ; Psoriasis ; Seasons ; Skin ; Skin Diseases* ; Statistics as Topic* ; Tinea ; Urticaria ; Warts