Clinical and Pathological Aspects of Papulosquamous Skin Disorders in a Tertiary Health-Care Center

Abstract

Background: Skin is the largest organ of the body. Papulosquamous skin disorders are a group of heterogenous dermatoses with distinct histo-morphological features. The characteristic primary lesion is a papule, usually erythematous, that has a variable amount of scaling on the surface. Papulosquamous Skin Disorders are a group of heterogeneous dermatoses with distinct histomorphological features, and of uncertain etiology. The commonest papulosquamous dermatoses are psoriasis, lichen planus and pityriasis rosea. Because all papulosquamous disorders are characterised by scaling papules, clinical confusion may result during their diagnosis.

Aim: The Study aims to evaluate histomorphological findings in various papulosquamous skin disorders encountered at RIMS, Imphal.

Materials and Methods: Skin biopsies of clinically diagnosed papulosquamous skin disorders along with their relevant clinical data received during a period of two years from September 2017 to August 2019 were included in the study. Diagnosis was confirmed by histopathological examination using hematoxylin and eosin stain.

Results: A total of 115 papulosquamous skin disorders were studied with 75 cases of psoriasis (11 to 80 years), 36 cases lichen planus (2 to 70 years) and 4 cases pityriasis rosea. Age ranges from 2 to 80 years. Most cases were seen in the age group of 31 to 50(70.6%) with a mean age of 39.18 years. Both genders were almost equally affected with a male: female ratio of 1.13:1. A comperative analysis of the clinical with histopathological diagnosis of these papulosquamous skin lesions revealed a positive co-relation in 76(66.08%) cases and a negative co-relation in 39(33.9%) cases.

Conclusion: It is crucial to identify the type of papulosquamous lesion to determine the appropriate treatment due to the varied clinical presentation and histopathological patterns of the disorder.