Epidemiology of Dermatologic Conditions Among Elderly Patients at the Ambulatory Care Service of a Tertiary Hospital in Metro Manila from 2014 to 2018: A Five-year Review

Abstract

Introduction: Ageing is a progressive degenerative process that leads to decline in the physiological function and reserve capacity of the whole body system, including the skin. As the Filipino geriatric population escalates, the incidence of skin diseases becomes more widely acknowledged. Presently, there are only a few studies that have been reported locally describing the nature of geriatric dermatoses. Objectives: To describe the epidemiology of dermatologic conditions among Filipino elderly patients that prompted a consult at the ambulatory care service of a tertiary hospital between the years 2014 and 2018. Methodology: All Filipino elderly patients with dermatological conditions seen at the dermatology ambulatory care service from 2014 to 2018 was studied through a single-center, retrospective, descriptive study. Results: Elderly patients comprised 16.76% of the total patients who sought dermatological consultation at the ambulatory care service of the hospital. Majority of the patients were females. Xerosis/xerotic eczema (10.02%) was the most frequently encountered skin disease. The top 10 diseases were irritant contact dermatitis (7.00%), lichen simplex chronicus (6.67%), psoriasis (5.56%), seborrheic dermatitis (5.24%), allergic contact dermatitis (4.37%), tinea pedis (3.51%), herpes zoster (3.49%), seborrheic keratosis (3.23%), and milia (2.54%). Based on the nature of disease, inflammatory condition was the most commonly seen. Conclusion: Dermatological disorders are ubiquitous in older people with a significant impact on the quality of life. Inflammatory dermatoses comprise a wide array of skin diseases as evidenced in this study, which account for most of the cutaneous problems in the elderly. Similar to other epidemiological studies, xerosis/xerotic eczema still comprises majority of the cases prompting elderly patients to seek a dermatological consultation. Keywords: elderly, geriatric, dermatologic diseases, ambulatory, epidemiology