Dermatoses in children in the Republic of Palau

The spectrum of dermatoses in the pediatric population of the Republic of Palau is unknown and largely unmentioned in publication. All Palauan pediatric patients who consulted the Shin Kong Medical Assistant Program to Palau dermatology services at Belau National Hospital (BNH) and local dispensaries from 2015 to 2018 were analyzed. The results were classified according to age and sex and also analyzed by region. This population included a total of 155 patients, with 92 girls and 63 boys. Eczema (52.9%), superficial fungal infection (21.93%), and bacterial infection (16.77%) were the most frequent conditions. More than 20% of the patients presented with more than one concurrent skin disease. Among the disease spectrum, the frequency of atopic dermatitis was comparable: 29.1% in girls and 28.6% in boys. Superficial fungal infections were more common in boys, with a frequency of 31.7% as opposed to 15.2% in girls. The results were also analyzed according to region: 123 patients were seen at BNH and 32 patients were seen at the local dispensaries. Bacterial infection was more common at the local dispensaries (37.5%) than at BNH (11.4%). Hereby, we describe the pattern of skin diseases in Palauan children.