Background: It is axiomatic that average life span is prolonged in proportion to the advance of socio-economic improvements and medical science. Consequently, the number of elderly patients with skin diseases is increasing.
Objective: This study was performed to examine the patterns of skin diseases in elderly patients that had visited Dongguk Oriental Medical hospital, Dept. of Dermatology. We also compared these patients to the young generational groups.
Methods: We studied 67 elderly patients with complaints of skin diseases who had visited our hospital from March 2000 to February 2002. We analysed their skin diseases and compared them with the younger group's.
Results: The results were as follows; 1. The common disease groups were eczema(32.8%); pruritus(23.9%); viral infections (13.4%); psoriasis(9.0%); fungal infections and urticaria(6.0%). 2. The disorders prevalent in men were eczema(30.0%); herpes zoster & pruritus(23.3%); fungal infection(13.3%); psoriasis (3.3%); melasma(6.7%). 3. The common diseases of women's group were observed in the following order; eczema(35.l%); pruritus(24.3%); psoriasis(13.5%); urticaria(10.8%); other dermatoses(8.1%); herpes zoster(5.4%). 4. The most frequent skin disease for those in their 50's was eczema(32.3%); 60's, pruritus(36.8%); 70's, eczema(50.0); and over eighties., eczema and pruritus(40.0%).
Conclusion: This study suggests that dermatologic problems in the elderly are very common, especially eczema, pruritus. It is a very different pattern from the younger group's. And we have to better consider more effective management and treatment for them; especially further dermatologic studies including substantial medical care. Usually Oriental medicine is good at treating chronic diseases and less harmful. So we expect it to be generally better for elderly patients than western medicine.
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