Abstract
Background: Many skin diseases can be evoked by psychological problems. Dermatological conditions could also lead to psychological disorders; hence psychodermatology is an emerging subspecialty that focuses on the interface of psychiatry and dermatology. Objective: To assess the frequency of the major disorders of so-called psychocutaneous disorders which are commonly seen among Iraqi population. Patients and Methods: This case descriptive study had been done in Department of Dermatology-Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Medical City, Baghdad, Iraq during the period from March 2011 to October 2013. All cases were collected and categorized according to the disease problem. Patients were interviewed to search for the main triggering and precipitating factors involved in pathogenesis of these disorders. The clinical picture was well described in order to reach a final diagnosis. Psychological interview and analysis were performed for all patients to reach the specific emotional and psychiatric disease by consultant psychiatrist. Results: A total of 100 patients with major psychocutaneous disorders were seen and evaluated. Nineteen were males and 81 were females with female to male ratio: 4.26:1. Their ages ranged from 7 - 73 (26.5 ± 5.217) years. The frequency of these diseases was as follows: trichotillomania 53%, dermatitis artifacta 37%, delusion of parasitosis 6% and neurotic excoriation 4%. Conclusions: The major psychocutaneous diseases in Iraqi population were: trichotillomania, dermatitis artifacta and these are problems of mainly young females while delusion of parasitosis and neurotic excoriations were diseases of middle age females.
Highlights
Psychodermatology comprises any aspect of dermatology with psychological or psychiatric elements [1]
The scope of psychodermatology ranges from a variety of psychophysiologic disorders, where psychological stress plays a major role in precipitating and exacerbating skin disease, to primary or secondary psychiatric disorders, where the skin lesions are self-induced in the context of having no real skin disease or of having emotional problems secondary to existing skin disease [4]
Cases were interviewed to search for the main triggering and precipitating factors involved in pathogenesis of these disorders, the clinical picture where well described in order to reach a final diagnosis
Summary
Psychodermatology comprises any aspect of dermatology with psychological or psychiatric elements [1]. The scope of psychodermatology ranges from a variety of psychophysiologic disorders, where psychological stress plays a major role in precipitating and exacerbating skin disease, to primary or secondary psychiatric disorders, where the skin lesions are self-induced in the context of having no real skin disease or of having emotional problems secondary to existing skin disease [4]. Psychological interview and analysis were performed for all patients to reach the specific emotional and psychiatric disease by consultant psychiatrist. Their ages ranged from 7 - 73 (26.5 ± 5.217) years The frequency of these diseases was as follows: trichotillomania 53%, dermatitis artifacta 37%, delusion of parasitosis 6% and neurotic excoriation 4%. Conclusions: The major psychocutaneous diseases in Iraqi population were: trichotillomania, dermatitis artifacta and these are problems of mainly young females while delusion of parasitosis and neurotic excoriations were diseases of middle age females
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