Follicular Dermatoses in Iraqi Patients (Clinical and Histopathological Evaluation)

Abstract

Background: Follicular dermatoses are skin diseases that involved the hair follicle either early or during the course of the disease. Objective: To collect a number of dermatoses where there is follicular involvement, to be studied and analysed in order to reach a conclusion that hair follicles are the most important target area in the pathogenesis of these dermatoses. Patients and Methods: This is a descriptive, clinical and histopathological study that was carried out at the Centre of Dermatology and Venereology, Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Medical City, Baghdad, Iraq during the period from December 2017 to August 2019. Forty patients with follicular dermatoses were included and all socio- demographic data related to the disease was obtained from each patient, in addition to clinical examination was performed for each patient. Lesional biopsies were done for 20 patients, for histopathological examination by Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E). Results: The mean age ± SD was 30.2±16.96 years, 25 patients were males and 15 patients were females, the clinical diagnosis of follicular diseases was established for all skin diseases included in the present work. The histopathological findings of lesional biopsies were mainly: perifollicular lymphocytes, follicular invasion and degeneration, follicular plugging, fibrous tract remnant, perifollicular melanophages and hair follicle cyst. Conclusion: The result of the present study does encourage us to suggest that almost all skin diseases included in this study start initially on the hair follicle and then spread to involve the adjacent epidermis.