Spectrum of skin diseases in Samoa: a retrospective clinical audit (January–March 2020)
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Keywords
Samoa, dermatology audit, epidemiology, Pacific Islands, Public health , skin diseases
Abstract
Introduction: Skin diseases represent a major yet under-recognised component of the global burden of disease, particularly in small island developing states where dermatological services are limited. Until 2020, Samoa lacked a dedicated dermatology clinic, and national data on skin disease patterns were unavailable. This study presents the first epidemiological audit of dermatological diagnoses in Samoa’s public health system.
Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional audit was conducted of all patients attending the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital (TTMH) dermatology clinic between January and March 2020, covering the clinic’s initial three months of operation. Demographic information (age, sex) and primary dermatological diagnoses were extracted from clinic records. Data were anonymised and analysed using descriptive statistics to determine the frequency and distribution of major skin disease categories.
Results: A total of 600 paediatric and adult patients were reviewed, representing 20 diagnostic categories. The most frequent conditions were eczema and other forms of dermatitis (34.5%), followed by fungal infections (19.8%), bacterial infections (8.5%), psoriasis and other papulosquamous diseases (7.5%), urticaria (5.7%), and benign skin tumours (5.7%). Viral infections accounted for 3.2%, and acneiform eruptions for 3.0%. All other categories constituted less than 2.0%. Eczema and infective dermatoses predominated across all age groups and genders.
Conclusion: This inaugural national dermatology audit reveals a disease pattern comparable to other Pacific populations, dominated by inflammatory and infective dermatoses. The findings provide essential baseline data for Samoa’s Ministry of Health and may inform dermatology service development, training curricula, and future surveillance systems. Establishing standardised diagnostic coding and expanding the dataset beyond three months are recommended to strengthen national and regional dermatologic evidence-based research.
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