title: Dermatoses associated with travel to tropical countries: a prospective study of the diagnosis and management of 269 patients presenting to a tropical disease unit.
abstract: The full spectrum of skin diseases related to travel in tropical areas is unknown. We prospectively studied 269 consecutive patients with travel-associated dermatosis who presented to our tropical disease unit in Paris during a 2-year period. The median age of these patients was 30 years; 137 patients were male; 76% of the patients were tourists; 38% had visited sub-Saharan Africa; and 85% had been appropriately vaccinated against tetanus. Cutaneous lesions appeared while the patient was still abroad in 61% of cases and after the patient's return to France in 39%. The diagnosis was definite in 260 cases; 137 of these cases (53%) involved an imported tropical disease. The most common diagnoses were cutaneous larva migrans (25%); pyodermas (18%); pruritic arthropod-reactive dermatitis (10%); myiasis (9%); tungiasis (6%); urticaria (5%); fever and rash (4%); and cutaneous leishmaniasis (3%). Hospitalization was necessary in 27 cases (10%), with a median duration of 5 days (range, 2-21 days). Travelers should be advised on how to avoid exposure to the agents and vectors of infectious dermatoses. Travel first-aid kits should include insect repellents and antibiotics effective against bacterial skin infections.
authors.affiliation: Département des Maladies Infectieuses, Parasitaires, Tropicales et Santé Publique, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Caumes
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carrière
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guermonprez
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bricaire
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Danis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gentilini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007815:Larva Migrans / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011711:Pyoderma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D014195:Travel; D014329:Tropical Climate; D014330:Tropical Medicine; D014581:Urticaria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy