Background and Objective:This study aims to look at the pattern and incidence of skin diseases seen in Dermatology/Venereology clinic at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, South-South Zone, Nigeria and compare it with other zones of Nigeria.Materials and Methods:This was a prospective study on pattern and incidence of skin diseases in new patients presenting at the Dermatology/Venereology outpatient clinic of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, South-South, Nigeria, from September 2006 to August 2007. All patients were seen by the researchers. Diagnosis were made clinically and sometimes with the support of histopathology.Results:A total number of 4786 patients were seen during the study period and these comprised 2647 HIV/AIDS patients and 2112 pure Dermatological patients. Out of 4786 patients, 755 (15.8%) were new patients. The new patients comprised 96 (12.7%) children patients (< 15 years) and 659 (83.7%) adult patients (>15years). The ages of the patients ranged from 2 weeks to 80 years and more than two-third were < 40 years. There were 354 males (46.9%) and 401 females (53.1%). This represents female: male ratio of 1.1: 1. Eczematous dermatitis accounted for 20.9% of the skin diseases and was the most common of the skin diseases observed. This is consistent with observation from other zones in Nigeria. Other skin diseases observed in order of frequencies include: Papulosqamous disorder (9.0%), Infectious skin diseases like fungal, viral, bacterial and parasitic infestation, at 7.9%, 7.7%, 2.3% and 2.1% respectively. Pigmentary disorders (5.0%), hair disorders (4.2%) and Benign neoplastic skin disease (6.5%). All the patients that had neurofibromatosis were females (1.9%). HIV-related skin diseases were observed to have increased remarkably (7.9%) with Kaposi’s sarcoma, papular pruritic eruptions and drug eruptions being the commonest mode of presentation.Conclusion:The current pattern of skin diseases in Benin City, South-South Nigeria seems to follow a similar pattern observed in other Geo-political zones in Nigeria. The eczematous dermatitis took the lead and the impact of HIV-related skin diseases were vividly noticed to be on the increase. Connective tissue disorder and cutaneous malignancies were low in their occurrences. Our findings showed no major differences in the pattern of skin diseases when compared with other zones of Nigeria. Allergic skin diseases were observed to be on the increase in all the geo-political zones; possibly due to increase in urbanization and its attending socio-economic burden.

Objective:The relationship between hepatitis C virus and Lichen Planus have been widely reported in the literature; although there are wide geographical variations in the reported prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in patients with lichen planus. This study seeks to determine the prevalence of hepatitis C virus among lichen planus patients and its clinical morphological type in the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada Abuja, Nigeria.Materials/Methods:This study was conducted between January 2010 and December, 2011 at the out patients Dermatological unit of the department of medicine at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital Gwagwalada Abuja, Nigeria. Consecutive patients who had body eruptions suspected to be lichen planus were recruited and histology done for confirmation. The control group included patients’ relations and some dermatology patients known to have low risk of hepatitis C virus infection and liver function tests done for both subjects and control after obtaining oral consent from them to participate in the study.Result:Anti- HCV antibodies were detected in nine cases (21.4%) and one case (3.3%) in the control group. This was statistically significant difference between the HCV antibody among the subject and control group (P<0.038). Hypertrophic lichen planus was the most frequent clinical type. Liver function test was not statistically significant among the subject and control group.Conclusion:Lichen planus and Hepatitis C virus appear to have a relationship and the prevalence rate was higher among the subject as compared to the control group in our environment.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: the skin defines the essence of beauty and overall perceived attention within a social context. As such, there is a relationship between skin diseases and the extent of provoked emotional psychological disturbances and social concern that the sufferers do have. This study therefore seeks to ascertain levels of anxiety and their psychosocial consequences among sufferers of acne vulgaris and chronic urticaria in dermatological outpatient in Abuja-Nigeria. MATERIALS/METHODS: this study was a prospective, cross sectional study carried out on consecutive consented dermatological outpatients who had acne vulgaris (N = 62) and chronic urticaria (N = 31) over a period of nine months (June 2013-February 2014) and 50 apparently healthy control matched for age and sex were recruited into the study. Diagnosis of acne vulgaris and chronic urticaria were clinically made. Questions on State Trait Anxiety Index STAI (Y-1) form were used to determine their present feelings and level of perceived anxiety within the society as a result of acne vulgaris and chronic urticaria. Total STAI score greater than 54 suggests severe level of anxiety and univariate analysis of variance was used to determine relationship between anxiety and its social consequences. Data was keyed into and analysed with SPSS 20.RESULTS: ratio of male: female for subjects is 1:1.9 and 1:1.3 for controls while mean age in years ± Standard Deviation (SD) for subjects and controls were 29.02 ± (9.2) and 28.42 ± (8.3) respectively. There was sex and age match between subjects and controls. Also, there was observable moderate to severe anxiety among those that had acne vulgaris and chronic urticaria as compared to apparently healthy controls. Low self-esteem, inferiority complex, lack of self-confidence, and social withdrawal, were among the common social reactions noticeable among the subject group. Mean STAI score ± s.e (standard error) of subjects was significantly higher than that of the controls 49.7 ± 0.788 and 33.9 ± 1.255 respectively at t-test = 11.2 and p = 0.0001. CONCLUSION: acne vulgaris and chronic urticaria was highly associated with moderate to severe anxiety with attending social reactions when compared to apparently healthy controls.

BackgroundThe skin as one of the largest organs in the body mirrors our emotion. Exhaustive inquiry of a dermatology patients' life experience might help to provide insight and understanding to coping and the need for psychological counselling which might help in long term remission of such dermatoses. Methods and MaterialsThis interventional study was carried out on newly diagnosed dermatology subjects from September 2012 to February 2014. Within this period, subjects who met the inclusion criteria for the study were recruited into the study by the researchers. The diagnoses of the skin deramtoses were made and some confirmed by histology were necessary.Each of the subjects was administered a self-evaluation structured questionnaire after thorough explanation and consent to participate in the study was obtained. Their psychological morbidity was noted and thirty (30) minutes to Sixty (60) minutes counselling session conducted for each subject. ResultsA total number of 2,340 dermatological patients were seen out of which 930 were newly diagnosed dermatological cases. Two hundred and forty six (246) who met the inclusion criteria for the study were recruited. These comprised 155 (63.0%) females and 91 (37.0%) males. Their age ranges from 15years to 70years with a mean age and standard deviation of 31.6years ± 11.2 respectively. Subjects who were students with higher educational degree suffered more psychological morbidity or distress. However, there was statistically significant reduction on the impact of their psychological morbidity after few sessions of counselling which comprised psychoanalytical psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy.In conclusion, there was a significant psychological morbidity among dermatological patients. Imperatively, a well articulated and integrated psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy would be of immense benefits to dermatology patients apart from administration and usage of drugs.

Background: Candida infections are known contributors to the high morbidity and mortality rates seen in HIV positive patients. Methodology: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study.  The study was carried out at the Microbiology research laboratory, department of Medical Microbiology, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada. The population is made up of two hundred and ten (210) patients who presented with oral thrush between fifteen years and seventy years which comprises of 160 HIV seropositive and 50 non age and sex matched HIV seronegative patients. Culture, Microscopy and ELISA methods were used for isolation of Candida albicans. An interviewer-administered, structured questionnaire was used as the study tool. Results: The mean age for the isolation of Candida albicans was 30 ± 18.7 years, with the highest proportion of isolates within the age range of 21-30 years accounting for 27.1% of the study population recruited and the lowest proportion of isolates being 41-50 years accounting for 8.0%. From the 210 subjects with Candida albicans in the study, one hundred and sixty (160) representing 76.2 were isolated from HIV seropositive clients and Candida albicans isolation rate among HIV seronegative population was 23.8%. Conclusion: The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of using Grams reaction methods in the diagnosis of Candida albicans was 22.9%, 95.2% and 82.6%. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of using ELISA methods was 25.7%, 86.7% and 65.9%. In this study, there was preponderance of Candida albicans isolate among the young and the old in HIV seropositive patients but largely isolated from older patients among HIV seronegative  patients.