Dermatologic diseases in Africa: The profile of patients attending a tertiary hospital in the Ashanti Region of Ghana

Background Dermatological diseases are a substantial cause of discomfort, with debilitating effects on the affected person's confidence. However, there is a paucity of data on the prevalence of dermatological diseases and their associated factors in Ghana. We assessed the distribution of dermatological cases, its predictive factors, and common treatment options. Methods This observational study included 460 dermatological cases from dermatology unit of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Kumasi, Ghana over 5 years, from January 2016 to December 2020. A data collection sheet was used to extract sociodemographic data, dermatology diseases and drugs for their management. Statistical analyses were done using SPSS Version 26.0 and GraphPad prism version 8.0. P  < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The highest proportion of dermatological cases were chronic eczema (14.8%), acne vulgaris (10.2%), atopic eczema (8.3%), folliculitis (6.7%), vitiligo (6.5%) and pityriasis rosea (5.2%). A significant number were also prurigo (3.9%), urticaria (3.7%), epidemic Kaposi sarcoma (3.7%) and infantile seborrhoeic dermatitis (3.0%). The proportion of idiopathic pruritus, alopecia areata, and lichen planus were 2.8%, 2.4% and 2.0% respectively. The proportion of systemic lupus erythematosus (1.7%) and haemangioma (1.7%) were significantly higher among females than compared to males ( p  = 0.049). Most participants were on cetirizine (43.2%), non-alkali soap (13.5%), ketoconazole cream (12.3%), folic acid/vitamin B ₁₂ (9.9%), multivitamin (7.1%), and clindamycin/erythromycin (7.1%). Conclusion The common dermatological diseases were chronic eczema, acne vulgaris, atopic eczema, folliculitis, vitiligo and pityriasis rosea. Some dermatological conditions are commoner among females and adulthood. Further future studies are recommended to augment other risk factors predilection to skin diseases in Ghana.