Dermatosis Neglecta: A Retrospective Study at a Tertiary Care Center in Southern India

Dermatosis neglecta (DN) is an acquired skin condition that occurs due to unconscious neglect of self-cleaning in individuals with some underlying risk factor. The purpose of this study was to summarize the demographic, clinical characteristics, and treatment outcomes of patients with DN in a tertiary care center. We evaluated the medical records of 28 patients with DN who were diagnosed and treated in our center between August 2020 and July 2022. The retrospective data related to demographic details, duration of lesions, morphology, distribution of lesions, associated symptoms, history of cleanliness, a risk factor for the development of the condition, treatment provided, and the details of follow-up were taken into account and analyzed. Of the 28 patients, there were 19 males and nine females. The most common site in our study was the anterior trunk (n = 7) followed by the posterior trunk (n = 6). The most common site to develop DN was a recent surgical site. Soap and water cleansing resulted in the removal of lesions in the majority of the patients. Recurrence was observed in two patients. Our study indicates that the frequency of this condition is often underestimated and under-reported. To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest case series of DN in the medical literature.