| المستخلص: |
INRODUCTION: Obesity is a chronic multifactorial disease representing a major health problem. It is a disease that is often neglected-indeed, frequently it is not even thought of as a disease, but more as a self-inflicted condition. Obesity is implicated in a wide spectrum of dermatologic diseases, including acanthosis nigricans, acrochordons, keratosis pilaris, hyperandrogenism and hirsutism, striae distensae, adiposis dolorosa, and fat redistribution, lymphedema, chronic venous insufficiency, plantar hyperkeratosis, cellulitis, skin infections, hidradenitis suppurativa, psoriasis, insulin resistance syndrome, and tophaceous gout. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY: Highlight the dermatological conditions that commonly seen among obese patients; determine their prevalence among obese patients and describe their presence in association with the body mass index (BMI). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 82-overweight and obese patients of both sexes with ages ranging from 13-70 years were studied within a period of time extending from August-2007 to April-2008; all of them were Libyans patients who attended and who were followed up in El-sabri polyclinic-Benghazi. Selected on the basis of a body mass index (BMI) more than or equal to 25kg/m². RESULTS: Cutaneous striae were the commonest(70.7%) dermatological finding among obese individuals; with the abdomen was the commonest site of involvement. Females were at greater risk of developing cutaneous striae than males regardless the marital status of females. No association between the presence of cutaneous striae and the BMI. Plantar hyperkeratosis was common (50%) among obese patients, but we can not consider it as stigma of severe obesity. Acanthosis nigricans was also common (45.1%); but interestingly most patients with acanthosis nigricans had no associated skin tags. Although the prevalence of acanthosis nigricans is increasing with increasing BMI but statistically was non-significant. Facial hirsutism, skin tags and keratosis pilaris were seen among obese individuals but all were not associated with the increasing BMI. Intertrigo, psoriasis, earlobe crease, furunculosis were uncommon among obese individuals. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of certain dermatosis were increased among obese patients since they are obese regardless the severity of obesity.
|
