Top Chief Complaints and Diagnoses for Outpatient Dermatology Patients of Color
April 2025 | Volume 24 | Issue 4 | 403 | Copyright © April 2025
Published online March 30, 2025
Arielle Carolina Mora Hurtado BSa*, Sarah Gonzalez BSb*, Nicole C. Syder MDc, Melissa Gonzalez BAc, Sanmeet Atwal BSc, Kayla Blair BSc, Ivan Rodriguez BSc, Audrey Hao BSc, Autumn L. Saizan MDd, Simone N. Montgomery MD MPHc, Jack Rodman MPHe, Nada Elbuluk MD MScc
aUniversity of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
bWayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
cDepartment of Dermatology, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
dDepartment of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
eSouthern California Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Los Angeles, CA
Abstract
Background: By 2044, people with skin of color (SOC) in the United States are projected to become the majority of the population, yet research and practice gaps remain regarding the dermatologic conditions most common and concerning to populations with SOC.1,2
Objective: To investigate the most common outpatient dermatologic chief complaints and diagnoses in patients with SOC.
Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted investigating the top chief complaints and diagnoses in children and adult patients with SOC seen at the University of Southern California outpatient dermatology clinics over 10 years, from 2009 to 2019.
Results: A total of 4572 individuals were identified (2326 [58.9%] female; mean age [SD]: 46.0 [19.9] years). The 5 most common skin concerns were skin examination (21.5%), bumps/growths (20.8%), rash (19.8%), acne (10.0%), and skin discoloration (8.5%). The 5 most common diagnoses were benign nevi/neoplasm (38.8%), followed by dermatitis (20.8%), acne (13.3%), eczema and/or xerosis (9.0%), and dyspigmentation (7.7%). Differences were observed across racial/ethnic, age, and gender groups.
Conclusion: Findings from this study contribute valuable insights regarding the potential motivations for seeking dermatologic care across various demographical groups, underscoring the importance of patient-centered, evidence-based, and culturally competent care in the diagnosis and treatment of dermatological disease across diverse populations.
J Drugs Dermatol. 2025;24(4):403-409. doi:10.36849/JDD.8532R1
INTRODUCTION
While people with skin of color in the United States (US) are projected to become the majority of the population by 2044, research and practice gaps remain regarding the dermatologic conditions most concerning to populations with skin of color (SOC).1,2 It is known that dermatologic conditions can present differently in people with SOC. In addition, the sequelae of inflammatory skin diseases, such as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), can be more noticeable in patients with SOC.2 Increased knowledge of the skin concerns most frequently reported among populations with SOC may improve understanding of the dermatologic needs and goals amongst increasingly diverse populations.
To our knowledge, this is the first study examining both the leading dermatologic diagnoses and chief complaints in patients with SOC in Los Angeles (LA). LA county represents the nation's most populated county and is one of the most diverse counties.3,4 The majority of the LA county population (74.8%) is composed of people with SOC.5 In addition to its racial/ethnic diversity, over one-third of individuals in LA are born outside of the US.5 This study sought to characterize the top patient-reported chief complaints and diagnoses amongst this diverse population.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This was a multi-site, retrospective chart review investigating the most common chief complaints and dermatologic diagnoses in patients with SOC. Patients meeting criteria included those ages 0 years and above and identified as Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American/Alaskan Native, Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian, Asian, Middle Eastern, biracial, and/or multiracial. Patients were seen at the University of Southern California (USC) Keck Medicine outpatient dermatology clinics over 10 years, from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2019. This study obtained ethical approval from the USC Institutional Review Board (IRB).
