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Photodermatoses in African Americans: A retrospective analysis of 135 patients over a 7-year period

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Background

The frequency of photodermatoses in African Americans has not been well characterized.

Objective

To evaluate the frequency of photodermatoses in African Americans in an academic medical center during a 7-year period. This was compared with that observed in Caucasians seen during the same period.

Methods

A retrospective chart review of 2200 dermatology clinic charts from August 1997 to September 2004 was performed. Charts of patients with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision diagnostic codes related to photodermatoses were included.

Results

Two hundred eighty patients with photodermatoses were identified: 135 (48%) African Americans, 110 (40%) Caucasians, and 35 (12%) patients of other races. In African Americans and Caucasians, the frequency of diagnoses was as follows: polymorphous light eruption (PMLE) (67.4% and 41.1%, respectively), systemic phototoxicity (13.3%, 10.7%), chronic actinic dermatitis (11.1%, 7.1%), porphyrias (0.7%, 21.4%), solar urticaria (2.2%, 8%), and other (5.2%, 10%). There was a statistically significantly higher proportion of African Americans with PMLE (P < .0001) compared with Caucasians. There was a statistically significantly higher proportion of Caucasians with porphyrias and solar urticaria (P < .001 and = .03, respectively) compared with African Americans.

Limitations

This study was a retrospective analysis.

Conclusion

Photodermatoses occur regularly in African Americans. With the notable exceptions of PMLE, porphyrias, and solar urticaria, the frequency of photodermatoses in African Americans was similar to that in Caucasians.

Section snippets

Patient population

An institutional review board–approved, retrospective chart review was performed. All patients were seen by a dermatologist at the Department of Dermatology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan. A total of 2200 patients' charts from August 1997 to September 2004 with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) diagnostic codes related to photodermatoses were reviewed. If the patient was diagnosed with a photosensitivity disorder (Table I), they were included in the

Results

A total of 278 patients were found to have a photodermatosis; two patients (both Caucasians) had two diagnoses, one with PMLE and photocontact dermatitis to Eusolex, and the other had PMLE and photocontact dermatitis to chlorpromazine hydrochloride and promethazine.

A total of 245 African American and Caucasian patients were found to have photodermatoses. In African Americans and Caucasians, the distribution of diagnoses was as follows: PMLE (67.4% and 41.1%, respectively), drug-induced

Discussion

To our knowledge, this is the first study that systematically evaluated the frequency of photodermatoses in African American patients. Despite the overall darker complexion, photodermatoses occurred regularly in these patients, suggesting that dark constitutional skin color does not protect against the development of photodermatoses. This is further supported by comparing our data with the demographics of patients seen in the Department of Dermatology at Henry Ford Hospital, where the study was

References (18)

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Funding sources: None.

Conflicts of interest: None declared.

This study has been presented at the annual meeting of the Skin of Color Society, New Orleans, in February 2005, as well as at the Michigan Dermatology Society meeting, Detroit, in October 2005.

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