Skin behind the bars

Background: Prisoners fall in the most vulnerable population group, but the health issue of this group is the most understudied. The various dermatological conditions that hamper their overall health and quality of life needs to be identified and serious measures should be undertaken for preventing them. Objectives: This study is one of the rare studies that aim to identify the dermatosis pattern and to relate with its etiological factors and suggest preventive methods to be undertaken for it. Materials and Methods: Total three visits were made to the district jail located in Central India over a period of 8 months, and the prison inmates were clinically examined. The data was recorded and results were drawn. Results: Scabies accounted for 31.51% while dermatophytes accounted for 30.83%. Other dermatoses seen were acne vulgaris (5.17%), allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) in 5.03%, pyoderma (2.71%), urticaria (2.86%), and tinea versicolor (2.62%). These were followed by the other dermatoses such as milia (1.81%), alopecia areata (0.5%), and irritant contact dermatitis (0.5%); viral infections such as herpes labialis (0.45%) and molluscum contagiosum (0.45%); and pigmentary disorders such as vitiligo (0.65%) and melasma (1.16%). Three new cases of Hansen's disease were diagnosed clinically (1.75%). Conclusion: We found that common dermatoses were scabies and fungal infections which are due to the overcrowding and poor hygiene facility in the prison premises. During the subsequent visits, the number of dermatophyte infections declined which may be attributed to patient counseling and awareness regarding hygiene and general cleanliness which was provided by us to the inmates in all previous visits. A detailed look into the matter may improve the overall dermatological health of the inmates.