Profile of erythroderma in children in hospital dermatology departments in Lomé, Togo: study of 28 cases.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic profile as well as the outcomes of children with erythroderma (also known as exfoliative dermatitis) in hospital dermatology departments in Lomé, Togo. This retrospective descriptive study examined the records of patients aged 0 to 15 years who were treated for erythroderma in dermatology departments in Lomé from January 1997 to December 2016. The study included 28 patients, with a mean age of 6.3 ± 5 years. The mean duration of progression of erythroderma before the consultation was 39.2 days. Pruritus was present in 60% of the children, fever in 13.3%, and impairment of general status in 3.3%. Among the children aged 3 months and older, 84.2% had dry squamous erythrodermic dermatosis, and among those younger than 3 months, 15.8%. Among those with erythrodermic dermatosis, atopic dermatitis (70.6%) was the most frequent dermatosis. No cause was found in 32.1% cases. Course and outcome were favorable in 53.3% of cases; one child died, and the rate of loss to follow-up was 43.3%. Erythroderma is a rare disease in children in hospital dermatology departments in Lomé. Erythrodermic dermatosis, particularly atopic eczema, remains the most frequent cause.