Seasonal rhythm of dermatoses among adults presenting to a tertiary care hospital

Objective To analyze the effect of seasonal variations in adult dermatoses at a tertiary care hospital in Lahore.   Methods It was an observational study, conducted in Dermatology outdoor of Services Hospital Lahore. All patients of both genders above 15 years of age were included in this study. The pattern of dermatoses was assessed in four seasons i.e. winter, spring, summer and autumn. The data were analyzed using SPSS vs. 20. Role of effect modifiers was analyzed using Chi Square test.   Results Total 6822 adults were managed in OPD. Infections (24.4%) were the commonest group of dermatoses, followed by infestations (17.2%) and eczemas (14.7%). Most of the cases in all categories of dermatoses were seen during summer season (42.1%), especially infections and infestations, followed by autumn (24.43%), spring (17.47%) and winter (16.02%). The difference of patterns among dermatoses was statistically significant (p value 0.00). Scabies was the commonest dermatosis (16.03%) followed by acne (9.08%) and hand eczema (5.98%).   Conclusion Seasons have a significant impact on pattern of adult dermatoses reflecting aetiopathogenic role in causation of these diseases.