.: Department of Dermatology and Skin Research Center, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran Abstract: Background: Prisoners are susceptible to dermatological diseases due to their communal life in prison, high-risk behaviours and being under stress. The aim of our project was to investigate the prevalence of dermatological diseases in an Iranian prison. Materials and methods: In this observational-cross sectional study 1404 prisoners were randomly selected and examined by two dermatologists. Results: All the examinees were male prisoners. Their average age was 34 +/- 11.2 and average time of imprisonment was 1.9+/- 2.8 years. 7% of cases (97) complained of generalized itching and 10% (140) had a localized itching. Tattoos were seen on the body of 261 prisoners (19%). 783 person (56%) (CI 95%: 53-59%) had a dermatological disorder and 621 (44%) were totally healthy. Truncal Acne Vulgaris was the most common disorder that was seen in 184 cases (13%). 158 cases (11.2%) had Tinea Versicolor. Other diseases were Facial Acne Vulgaris in 78 cases (5.5%), Dry Skin in 75 cases (5.3%) and Hand Eczema in 55 cases (4%). The average age of patients with Facial and Truncal Acne was lower. However, Acne was seen more in the patients with history of addiction. Scabies was more prevalent in crowded rooms. Conclusions: The most prevalent skin diseases were truncal Acne and tinea versicolor our finding revealed that scabies prevalence is meaningfully related to duration of imprisonment. It is recommended that all the prisoners should be examined before entering the prison and also periodically during their imprisonment in order to receive suitable treatment and decrease the risk of transmitting contagious diseases in prison.

Keywords: Skin disease, Prison, Prevalence

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