Pathogenetic, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of ichthyosis

Abstract

Introduction: Each year, more than 16 000 children affected by a form of ichthyosis are born in the world. Ichthyosis can affect people of any age, gender or racial type. The most commonly encountered forms of this disease are ichthyosis vulgaris the incidence being reported as 1 case per 250 population and the X-linked ichthyosis with a frequency of 1 per 6 000 population. Purpose and Objectives: Evaluation of the pathogenetic, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of different types of ichthyosis in order to estimate the epidemiological features and the specific aspects of patients with ichthyosis in Republic of Moldova. Methods: the literature review, the retrospective analysis, the statistical, comparative and graphical methods. Results: The retrospective, monocentric, descriptive study included the analysis of 60 medical records selected for the past 3 years, 17 records for the year 2009, 25 records for 2010 and 18 records for 2011. Thus, from these 60 medical records, including new cases as well as repeated hospitalizations, was obtained a group of 45 patients with different froms of ichthyosis registered in the Public Medical-Sanitary Institution Republican Dermatovenerologic Dispensary (RDVD) of the Republic of Moldova. It was determined that within this group of study there is no sex prevalence, the affected men, women report being established as 24 to 21. This research also highlighted that 29 of 45 people or 64% are suffering from ichthyosis vulgaris, the second most common disease being NBCIE with 18% of affections, or 8 people of 45 from the study. The most frequently detected age period of impairment in this group includes patients from 11 to 20 years in 42% of cases and from 6 to 10 years in 33% of cases. The distribution of the same 45 patients depending of their year of birth revealed that 46.6% of cases are born in 1991-2000 years and 37.7% between 2001-2011 years. Considering climacteric factor as a major trigger of exacerbations in ichthyosis, we investigated the study group encoding on their addressability month of the year or season. The results showed that 35% of patients were sent for treatment in the RDVD in spring, where February and March are considered the top months of exacerbation. Supposing the implication of the territorial factor into pathogenesis of ichthyosis, we have observed the probability of its prevalence in some regions of Moldova where 57.7% cases is encountered in the center of the republic, half of them in the capital Chisinau. Conclusion: The ichthyosis is a rare but a difficult disease. The most common type encountered in Moldova is ichthyosis vulgaris (64%) and the most frequently detected age period of impairment is from 11 to 20 years (42%). An important factor for exacerbations symptoms was revealed as climate factor, the addressability percent increasing in the spring (35%). This pathological condition gives an ugly aspect of the skin, and once damaged facial skin, the psychological consequences are imposing.