title: Pityriasis versicolor in the Central African Republic: a randomized study of 144 cases.
abstract: The prevalence and the principal epidemiological characteristics of pityriasis versicolor have been studied in a randomized population of 870 adult individuals (418 males and 452 females) in the Central African Republic. The general clinical prevalence was 16.6%. Males were affected more often than females (20.6% vs. 12.9%). For both sexes, the maximum prevalence was in the 15 to 25-year-old age groups (23.5%). Lesions commonly occurred over the face (49.3%) and upper trunk (48.6%). Different climatic areas within the country, type of urbanization, religion and general hygiene showed no relevance to the disease. The prevalence was higher among people living in rammed-earth houses than in people living in hard-built houses. The sebaceous activity of the skin, a feature which is racially and genetically determined, probably constitutes a primary factor for developing this mycosis, associated with the tropical climate as an additional environmental factor.
authors.affiliation: Département des Maladies Parasitaires et Tropicales, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Kremlin Bicêtre, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bélec
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Testa
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bouree
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002488:Central African Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002980:Climate; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011897:Random Allocation; D012067:Religion; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014010:Tinea Versicolor / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014505:Urban Population