Comparison of Dermatology Diagnoses During COVID-19 Period with Previous Year: What Has Changed?

The study observed changes in dermatological diagnoses at an outpatient clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic, comparing data from 2020 to 2019. The number of patients seen decreased from 16,107 in 2019 to 5,887 in 2020. There was a statistically significant increase in the percentage of patients diagnosed with scabies, contact dermatitis, pityriasis rosea, telogen effluvium, zona zoster, alopecia areata, and lichen planus in 2020, while the percentage of patients with acne and psoriasis significantly decreased. Gender-specific changes included more male patients with contact dermatitis, telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, and lichen planus, and more female patients with zona zoster and psoriasis vulgaris. The study suggests that the pandemic and related stress may have influenced the distribution of certain dermatological diseases.