AUTOIMMUNE SKIN DISEASES AMONG IMMIGRANT PATIENTS

Morrone A., Calcaterra R., Franco G., Carducci M.

21° WORLD CONGRESS OF DERMATOLOGY
Buenos Aires, 30 September – 5 October 2007

BACKGROUND
During the last years, the tropical dermatological diseases in the immigrants have represented the most challenging emergency for dermatologist and scientific community.
The infectious skin diseases are the most common conditions in the “Human Mobile Population”. However, we observed a progressive increase of inflammatory and autoimmune skin diseases among immigrant patients.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In November 2005, a service for early diagnosis of autoimmune skin diseases has been settled up at Department of Preventive Medicine for Migration, Tourism and Tropical Dermatology of San Gallicano Institute (IRCCS).
RESULTS
From November 2005 to February 2007, 507 patients were visited. In particular 8 cases of pemphigus vulgaris, 5 cases of pemphigus foliaceous, 12 cases of dermatomyositis, 15 cases of systemic sclerosis, 22 cases of systemic lupus erythematosus, 7 cases of subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, 27 cases of chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus, 14 cases of rheumatoid arthritis, 17 cases of necrotizing vasculitis, and 25 cases of Henoch-Schonlein
purpura, were observed.
DISCUSSION
Our results underline that migrant patients show not only infectious skin diseases, that are frequent because of the precariousness of living, promiscuity, undernutrition and lacks of hygiene, but also immuno-mediate chronic diseases, most of all with autoimmune genesis.
In these patients, the clinical features are usually more severe, not for a more aggressive clinical forms, but because of the difficult access to health care centres and the consequent opportunity of a correct diagnosis and care.
In this way is important, in our opinion, to offer a specific service to this people that need specific chronic care and suitable follow-up.
REFERENCES
Albrecht J, Atzeni F, Baldini C, et al. Skin involvement and outcome measures in systemic autoimmune diseases. Clin Exp Rheumatol 2006;24:S52-59.