A 5-year Retrospective Study on Alopecia in a Tertiary Hospital in Southern Nigeria
Keywords:
Retrospective study, Alopecia, Tertiary hospital, BeninAbstract
Background: Alopecia is a common condition accounting for the top ten morbidities seen in patients that present at dermatology outpatient clinics in Nigeria.
Aim: This retrospective study aimed at documenting the prevalence and types of alopecia in the skin clinic at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital between December 2014 and December 2019.
Methods: The medical records of all patients with alopecia attending dermatological outpatient clinic between December 2014 to December 2019 were analyzed retrospectively for this descriptive observational study. An approval for the study was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin-city, Nigeria. The diagnosis of Hair loss was essentially clinical, confirmed where expedient with a skin biopsy. Dermatological tools like Dermoscopes were also used to boost diagnostic accuracy when necessary. The patients were also evaluated for presence of other cutaneous and systemic disorders.
Results: During the 5year study period, 106 patients with hair loss (6.6%%) were observed. The youngest patient was 2months old and the oldest patient was 90years old. The males constituted 61.3% of patients observed while the females accounted for 38.7% of patients seen. The male to female ratio was 1.6:1. Discoid lupus erythematosus of the scalp, was the most common disorder 29(29.4%). Alopecia areata occurred in 23(27.7%); tinea capitis in 15(14,2%); Acne keloidalis nuchae in 14(13.2%); seborrheic dermatitis10(9.4%); and folliculiltis delcavans 9(8.5%). Less commonly observed causes of alopecia included androgenetic alopecia 2(1.9%); traction alopecia 2(1.9%); lichenplanopilaris 1(0.9%) and nevus sebaceum 1(0.9%).
Conclusion: There is a need for studies to further describe and proffer solutions to common causes of alopecia in our community.
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