An Overview of Scalp Dermatoses in a Tertiary Care Institute
April 2020
in “
International Journal of Research in Dermatology
”
TLDR Scalp skin conditions are more common in young adults and teenagers, especially males, with itching being the main complaint. The most common conditions are psoriasis and alopecia areata, and these can significantly affect a person's social life due to their psychological impact.
In a 6-month prospective observational study conducted by Aravamuthan et al. in 2020, the incidence of scalp dermatoses was found to be higher among adolescents and early adults, with a male to female ratio of 1.8:1. The study found that 57% of patients had lesions exclusive to the scalp, and the scalp was the initial site of presentation in 54.6% of cases with generalized lesions. The most common complaint was itching (53.5% of cases), and the parietal area of the scalp was most frequently affected (73% of cases). The most common dermatoses were psoriasis (21.5% of cases) and alopecia areata (11.5% of cases). The study concluded that scalp dermatoses have a significant psychological impact, affecting the social profile of patients.
