Skin disease in a geriatric patients group in outpatient dermatologic clinic Karlovac, Croatia.

To determine the characteristic pattern and frequency of dermatoses in dermatologic patients over 65 years we used electronic data base of General hospital Karlovac and conducted a retrospective cross sectional study evaluating age, sex and proportion of dermatoses. Total number of patients was 3200. There were 822 (25.69%) patients older than 65 years, and 2378 (74.31%) patients aged from 18-64 years. Ratio male/female in population over 65 years in our study was 0.76:1. Males had higher frequncy of verrucae vulgares 26 (7.3%) and dermatitis nummularis 47 (13.2%) then female and that difference was statistically significant. Female had higher frequency of keratosis acitinca 124 (26.61%) and fibroma 23 (4.94%), and that difference was statistically significant. The ten most common diagnosis in population over 65 years old were: keratosis actinica in 184 patients (22.38%) verrucae seborrhoicae in 156 (18.98%), dermatitits nummularis in 77 patients (9.37%), dermatitis allergica e contactu in 60 (7.30%) patients, mycosis in 56 (6.81%) patients, psoriasis in 51 (6.20%), verrucae vulgares in 39 (4.74%), fibromas in 27 (3.28%), naevi in 9 (1.09%) and acne in 1 (0.12%) patient. The number of patients with diagnosis of keratosis actinica, verrucae seborrhoicae and mycoses in population over 65 years old are greater then in younger subpopulation and that difference was statistically significant. There are specific pattern of frequency of dermatoses in elderly. Verrucae seborrhoica, keratosis actinica and mycoses are more common then in general population. In elderly risk for development of skin cancer is increased. Early detection of skin cancers and treatment of precanceroses is of utmost interest of health providers.