ETHNODERMATOLOGY

Morrone A., Franco G., Valenzano MC., Fazio R.

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

BACKGROUND
During the last years, the increase of the Human Mobile Population, people that migrate from a country to another, for several reasons (employment, policy, tourism), reached, in the 2005, the amount of a billion and 200 millions of people. Because of this phenomenon, in continuous increase, is possible to meet, in every dermatological department, people with different complexion and, sometimes cutaneous lesions difficult to diagnose.
METHODS
Retrospective analysis of clinical records of immigrated patients, attending a Department of Preventive Medicine of Migration, Tourism and Tropical Dermatology in San Gallicano Institute (IRCCS) in Rome. We observed 1824 patients during a 5-years period, from 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2006. They have been examined for personal particulars, case-histories, general medicine and dermatological visit and, eventually, laboratory investigations.
RESULTS
In our case record of 1824 immigrants (1046 males, 778 females), on the basis of anamnesis and clinical pictures, we observed cutaneous lesions related to cosmetics habits, or ritual-anthropological customs or caused by traditional medicine practice.
CONCLUSION
Owing to the various provenience, cultural and geographical different realities, peculiar behaviour may be found by a detailed case-history. Several custom, like cosmetic habits, traditional medicine and ritual practice, could influence and cause various cutaneous pathologies. Many of these diseases may be related to cosmetic routines: particularly exogenous ochronosis, alopecia and pomade acne. Other cutaneous manifestations, instead, are caused by traditional medicine practice, like cupping, coining, moxibustion; or by anthropological or ritual custom, as female genital mutilations, perforation keloidal scars, tattoos.
The Department of Preventive Medicine of Migration, Tourism and Tropical Dermatology in San Gallicano Institute observed several dermatological pathologies related to various cultural practices, usual in the place of origin. We would like to present our case record in order to underline the difficult differential diagnosis in these pathologies and the hard follow-up, due to the “mobility”, peculiar in this population.
REFERENCES
1. MATAIX J, BELINCHON I, BANULS J, PASTOR N, BETLOCH I., Skin lesions from the application of suction cups for therapeutic purposes, Actas Dermosifiliogr. 2006, 97(3):212-4
2. LOOK KM, LOOK RM. Skin scraping, cupping, and moxibustion that may mimic physical abuse., J Forensic Sci. 1997 Jan; 42 (1): 103-5.