The Pattern of Skin Diseases in Karbala City: A Retrospective Study

The study conducted at Al Husseiny Teaching Hospital in Karbala City reviewed medical records of 4,169 patients from January 2009 to January 2010 to determine the pattern of skin diseases. The patients, aged from 4 days to 85 years, included 54.4% males and 45.6% females. The most common skin conditions were eczema/dermatitis (28%), viral infections (20.5%), bacterial infections (13.7%), parasitic diseases (10.8%), acne vulgaris (7.02%), and urticaria (6.23%). Eczema/dermatitis was the predominant disorder in both males and females. The study concluded that there should be a focus on these common skin diseases in the health care system, with appropriate training programs to improve diagnosis and management, thereby reducing referrals to dermatology clinics.