The prevalence and pattern of dermatological disorders among elderly patients in a tertiary hospital in south- south Nigeria

Background: In the world especially in the developing countries like Nigeria, the geriatric population is expected to increase.This means the disorders of the skin in the elderly will assume greater importance. However few statistical studies have been carried about skin diseases among those who are elderly. Aim: To describe the prevalence and pattern of dermatological lesions among elderly attending dermatology clinic in a tertiary health institution. Materials and Methods: It was a retrospective cross sectional study which was carried out in patients above 60 years who visited the dermatology outpatient clinic from 2006-2015 using data extracted from patients records from a clinical register. Results: The prevalence of elderly patients with skin disorders seen at the dermatology outpatient clinic was 3.1% over the ten year period. The three most common conditions were eczema, fungal infections and vitiligo. The mean age of attendance was 67.1+/-7.5. Conclusion: Eczema is an important dermatological manifestation among the elderly.