SPECTRUM OF OFFICE-BASED PROCEDURES CONDUCTED AT THE DERMATOLOGY CLINIC OF THE LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL, LAGOS

Abstract

Background: The demand for procedural dermatology is on the increase because of the increased awareness of dermatological interventions by patients. Despite the common performance of these procedures, there is a dearth of literature on the frequency of their performances. This study aimed to document the frequency and indications for these office-based procedures.

Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of 1,400 office-based procedures conducted at the outpatient dermatology clinic of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital from September 2016 to December 2021. Data extracted included age, gender, clinical indications for procedures, and the procedures done. The data were entered into an excel sheet and analyzed using R Studio (R Core Team (2021).

Result: The age of the patients ranged from 1 to 89 years with a mean of 35.5 ±15.2 years. The most frequent indications for a procedure were keloid (32%), acne (20%), and warts (5.7%). The frequencies of the most performed procedures were intralesional triamcinolone acetonide (IL TAC) injection (25.7%), biopsy (21.4%), chemical peel (20%), and IL TAC plus 5-FU (7.1%). Chemical peels were commonly done for acne and melasma.

Conclusion: Documentation of the procedures available in dermatology will not only stimulate interest by trainees in dermatology, but it will also allow for the appropriate deployment of scarce resources and a knowledge of where skills can be acquired. Keywords: Dermatology procedures. Cryotherapy, Hyfrecation, Chemical peel, microneedling, platelet replacement therapy.