Cutaneous manifestations in obesity

Objective: To study the frequency of various dermatoses in obese patients and their comparison with the control group of normal weight individuals. Methods: The duration of study was one year starting from March 2011 to March 2012. A total of 93 obese (BMI 30kg/m2) and 93 normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2) individuals were included in the study. All the individuals underwent a complete medical and dermatological evaluation. All of them were evaluated for the presence of metabolic syndrome, as well. Results: Common dermatoses seen in obese patients were acanthosis nigricans, striae, acrochordons, and various infections. Out of these acanthosis nigricans, acrochordons and striae had statistically significant relationship with obesity as compared to control group (p 0.05). All the manifestations were also compared for diabetes, dyslipidemia and metabolic syndrome. Conclusion: Obesity is associated significantly with certain dermatoses. Understanding and thorough knowledge of these disorders is necessary both for the physicians as well as for a dermatologist, as many of these conditions are treatable, leading to an improved life quality. Early recognition of these lesions may also warn the patients for a need of weight reduction.