Clinicopathological profile of hyperpigment ed skin lesions- A prospective study

Abstract Introduction: Hyperpigmentation is one of the most common reaction to inflammatory, benign and malignant lesions of the skin. These disorders comprise heterogeneous group of diseases of epidermal and dermal hyperpigmentation divided into various types according to etiology and pathology. Correct diagnosis of these hyperpigmented lesions is linked to histopathologic examination of skin biopsies with clinical correlation. Aim: To study the spectrum of hyperpigmented skin lesions with reference to age and sex distribution. Materials and Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted at Department of Pathology, at Alluri Sitaramaraju Academy of Medical Sciences, Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, India, which included 80 patients who were clinically diagnosed with hyperpigmented skin lesions in all age groups from July 2014 to August 2016. Frequency and percentage statistics was used to present the results. Results: Out of 80 cases, 34 cases of inflammatory lesions, 23 cases of benign lesions and 23 cases of malignant lesions were reported. Among the post inflammatory lesions the majority were classical Lichen planus. Conclusion: Most common lesion was lichen planus and its variants with highest incidence in females and age group greater than 60 years. Histopathological diagnosis with clinical correlation aids in effective management of the patients.