# A Cross-Sectional Study of Dermatoses in Postmenopausal Patients at an Urban Tertiary Healthcare Center

## TL;DR

This study examines skin conditions in postmenopausal women at a healthcare center in India, highlighting common issues like wrinkles and fungal infections.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the prevalence of dermatoses in postmenopausal women in a developing country context.

## Key findings

- Wrinkles were the most common physiological change observed in 74.5% of patients.
- Fungal infections, particularly tinea, were the most frequent pathological condition.
- Psoriasis was the most common papulosquamous disorder, affecting 11% of participants.

## Abstract

Background and objective

Menopause is a significant phase that marks the end of the reproductive years in women and heralds various physiological, hormonal, and psychological changes. There is scarce research on dermatoses in menopause, particularly in developing countries, where many cases go unreported or undiagnosed due to limited healthcare access and awareness. The study aimed to analyze the clinical pattern of dermatoses in postmenopausal women.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 200 cases of postmenopausal women with dermatoses in any area of the body treated at the Dermatology OPD, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (SRIHER) for a period of two years (July 2022-July 2024). A semi-structured questionnaire was circulated, which sought to document data on age, presenting complaints, associated symptoms suggestive of any underlying autoimmune, connective tissue disorder or malignancy, personal and family H/O diabetes mellitus, hypertension, endocrine disorders, cardiovascular diseases, dietary and menstrual history, socioeconomic history, sanitation history, and obstetric history.

Results

The study included a total of 200 postmenopausal patients who were evaluated for cutaneous, hair, nail, and oral cavity changes. The mean age of the participants was 58.99 ±9.12 years. The age at which menopause started was 40-50 years for most participants (n=127, 63.5%). Occupation-wise, most participants were housewives (n=178, 85.5%). Wrinkles, observed in 149 patients (74.5%), were the common physiological change noted. Of the pathological changes, fungal infections like tinea (n=29, 14.5%) were the most common. Among eczematous conditions, asteatotic eczema, observed in nine patients (4.5%), was the most common; as for papulosquamous disorders, psoriasis (n=22, 11%) was the most frequent condition. Seborrheic keratosis (n=43, 21.5%) was the most frequent benign tumor; regarding psychocutaneous disorders, lichen simplex chronicus (n=3, 1.5%) was the most commonly encountered condition.

Conclusions

Postmenopausal dermatoses represent a significant but underrecognized issue related to women's health in India. This study highlights the prevalence of conditions like atrophic vaginitis, lichen planus, and fungal infections in our postmenopausal population.