Comparison of Dermatological Diseases in Prison and General Dermatology Outpatient Clinics: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Background and Objective: Dermatological diseases may vary depending on environmental conditions, hygiene, psychosocial stress, and access to healthcare. Data comparing the distribution of dermatological diseases between prison populations and the general population are limited. This study aimed to compare the frequency of dermatological diseases observed in patients admitted to prison dermatology outpatient clinics and general dermatology outpatient clinics.Methods: This retrospective observational study included 442 patients, of whom 200 were admitted to a prison dermatology outpatient clinic and 242 to a general dermatology outpatient clinic. Demographic characteristics and dermatological diagnoses Data were collected from medical records and analyzed using Jamovi software. Continuous variables were compared with the Mann–Whitney U test, and categorical variables with the chi-square or Fisher’s exact test.Results: Viral warts, scabies, alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, and seborrheic Dermatitis was observed significantly more often in patients admitted to the prison dermatology outpatient clinic. In contrast, dermatitis (eczema group, including atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, nummular dermatitis,],) was significantly more common in the general dermatology outpatient clinic. The two groups did not differ significantly with respect to acne, dermatophytosis, or psoriasis.Conclusion: Several infectious and stress-related dermatological diseases were more prevalent among prisoners, whereas dermatitis was more frequent in the general population. These results indicate that environmental conditions and psychosocial factors may influence the distribution of dermatological diseases and highlight the importance of targeted dermatological care in prison settings.