The pattern of dermatoses among underwater workers is undocumented and, hence, worth studying. The study aimed to document the pattern of dermatoses among underwater workers in a tropical seaside area. The researchers have made a cross-sectional population-based survey of 1 year from April 2015 among people regularly involved in the underwater occupation, especially mollusks’ collection.
They have analyzed 62 participants in the same situations. The commonly noted dermatoses were scars of previous injuries, sea urchin prick reaction, onychomycosis, tinea versicolor, dermatophytosis, warts, and intertrigo. These workers stabilize their position underwater by fixing elbows and knees to rocks, where they get accidentally pricked by sea urchins attached to the rocks. Hands also get pricked by sea urchins while trying to pluck mollusks from rocks. That leads to the predominance of lesions in elbows, knees, and hands.
Documenting the pattern of dermatological diseases in any group of underwater workers has not been done previously. Along with doing that, the study also brought to light the existence of a rare illness, sea urchin prick reaction, in notable proportions among an underprivileged group. This study also detected a previously unrecorded clinical finding of a peculiar distribution pattern of lesions over the body in patients with sea urchin prick reaction.
Ref: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ijd.15387
