Comparison of Dermatoses Seen in Community Health Camps and a Tertiary Care Centre in Kashmir

The study conducted from October 2012 to September 2013 compared 1065 cases with 1105 dermatoses from community health camps to 4358 patients with 4466 dermatoses at a tertiary care center in Kashmir. It found that non-infectious dermatoses were more prevalent than infectious ones in both settings, with 65.97% and 70.58% respectively. However, infectious dermatoses were significantly more common in the community (34.08%) compared to the tertiary center (29.42%). Fungal infections were the most frequent infectious dermatosis, while pigmentary disorders were the most common non-infectious dermatosis, followed by acne and eczema. The study highlighted a male predominance in dermatoses, a greater proportion of rural and tribal cases in the community, and a higher frequency of children in community cases. It concluded that there is a need for more frequent dermatology services at the primary healthcare level to manage infectious dermatoses and called for larger studies to determine the actual magnitude of dermatological illnesses in the community.