Prevalence and Causes of Facial Hyperpigmentation in Egypt: Dermoscopic and Histopathological Study.

Abstract

acial pigmentary disorders are one of the most common dermatological complaints and can be more distressing in patients with higher skin phototype. Unfortunately, FHP can cause severe psychological effect on the quality of life of affected individuals. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and causes of facial hyperpigmentary disorders among patients of Ain Shams University Clinic as well as the dermoscopic characteristics of the different diagnoses. In our study, we found that most cases of FHP presented to our clinic during the summer months. This seasonal variation was predictable in a country with a hot dry sunny climate like Egypt. Our patients were characterized mainly by type III and IV Fitzpatrick’s skin colors because of our geographical position in the subtropical zone, where people characterized by darker skin complexion due to higher melanin content, higher eumelanin to pheomelanin ratio and more effective distribution of melanin to guard against ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Most of our patients were in their forties and there was a predominance of the female sex among the participants this might be attributed to the predominance of melasma as the most common cause of FHP in the study. Besides, females are