Skin diseases are more prevalent in developing countries. The prevalence varies from country to country and also from region to region within a country. The  spectrum of  skin  diseases depends on the  age,gender and  other  factors. The histopathological diagnosis helps the clinician in managing the patient  appropriately.

Materials and Methods: The study inluded an analysis of 440 skin biopsies over a period of one year, done in a tertary care Hospital. The study included  all  skin  biopsies  including  plaques, cyst s& nodules.

Results: Of the 440 skin biopsies, Infectious disease constituted the most common cause of non neoplastic skin disease, constituting about 15%. The next common condition was papulosquamous disorder (10.22 %), followed by inflammatory dermatosis (2.95%), eczema (2.72%), vasculitis  and  genodermatosis each  constituting 2.27%. Among the tumours and tumour like lesions, Benign tumours constituted about 36.5 %, Malignant tumours  8.86% and cysts 15%.

1. Bezbaruah R, Baruah M. 2018-8. "Histopathological spectrum of skin lesions-A Hospital based study." Indian Journal of Applied Research 51-2.
2. Abubakar SD, Tangaza AM, Sahabi SM, Legbo JN. 2016. "Histopathological pattern of skin lesion in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria." African journal of cellular pathology 6:10-5.
3. Prevalence of skin diseases in rural Central India: A community-based, cross-sectional, observational study Sonia Jain et al, Journal of Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences 2016:21-2:111-115
4. Grover S, Ranyal RK, Bedi MK. A cross section of skin diseases in rural Allahabad. Indian J Dermatol 2008;53:179-81.
5. Rao GS, Kumar SS, Sandhya. Pattern of skin diseases in an Indian village. Indian J Med Sci 2003;57:108-10.
6. Ogun G O, Okoro OE. The Spectrum of Non neoplastic skin lesions in Ibadan, Nigeria – a histopathologic study. African Medical Journal 2016;23:221-5.
7. Dayal S, Gupta G, A cross section of skin diseases in Bundelkhand region, Uttar Pradesh. Indian J Dermatol, Venereol and Leprol1977; 43:258-61.
8. Das K K, Pattern of dermatological diseases in Guwahati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati, Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2003;69:16-8.
9. Gangadharan C, Joseph A, Sarojini A Pattern of Skin diseases in Kerala, Indian J Dermatol, Venereol, Leprol 1976; 42:49-51
10. Histopathological spectrum of skin diseases in a tertiary skin health and referral centre Ram Chandra Adhikari, Mahesh Shah, Anil Kumar Jha, Journal of Pathology of Nepal (2019) Vol9, 1434-1440.
11. Kar C, Das S, Roy AK, Pattern of skin diseases in a tertiary Institute in Kolkatta, Indian J Dermatol 2014; 59:209.
12. Das S, Chatterjee T, Pattern of skin disease in a peripheral hospital skin OPD : A Study of 2550 patients. Indian J Dermatol 2007; 52:93-5.

Dr D. Sheeba

Associate Professor of Pathology, Madras Medical College and RGGGH, Chennai – 600003, India