Skin Disease Types Among Military Personnel

Author: JAMA Network
Published: 2009/02/16 - Updated: 2025/03/08
Publication Details: Peer-Reviewed, Findings
Category Topic: Skin Conditions - Academic Publications

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates

Synopsis: This report examines various skin diseases that disproportionately affect military personnel due to factors like extreme environmental conditions, prolonged sun exposure, and stress. It details common conditions such as dermatitis, fungal infections, and more severe issues like cutaneous leishmaniasis, highlighting their causes, symptoms, and potential treatments. The information is particularly relevant to veterans, active-duty service members, and healthcare providers, while also offering insight into dermatological concerns that may impact seniors and individuals with compromised immune systems. By shedding light on these often-overlooked health challenges, the report contributes to a broader understanding of skin-related risks in high-stress professions - Disabled World (DW).

Introduction

Dermatitis, benign moles, hives and cancerous skin lesions are among the most common diagnoses among military personnel who were evacuated from combat zones for ill-defined dermatologic diseases, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Main Content

"Throughout the history of warfare, dermatologic diseases have been responsible for troop morbidity, poor morale and combat ineffectiveness," the authors write as background information in the article.

In tropical and subtropical climates, skin diseases have accounted for more than half of the days lost by front-line units. Skin diseases during wartime are exacerbated by sun exposure, temperature and humidity extremes, native diseases, insects, crowded living conditions, difficulty maintaining personal hygiene and chafing and sweating caused by body armor, helmets and other protective gear.

Timothy A. McGraw, M.D., of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Md., and Pentagon Air Force Flight Medicine Clinic, Washington, D.C., and Scott A. Norton, M.D., M.P.H., also of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, studied 170 military personnel who left combat zones in central and southwest Asia for ill-defined dermatologic reasons between 2003 and 2006 (for example, non-specific skin eruption or skin disorder, not otherwise specified).

Of these, 154 (91 percent) were evaluated by a dermatologist after evacuation, and the rest were evaluated by other types of physicians, including family physicians and internal medicine specialists.

A total of 34, or 20 percent, were diagnosed with dermatitis or general skin inflammation; 16, or 9 percent, with benign melanocytic nevus (non-cancerous moles).

13, or 8 percent, with a malignant neoplasm (cancerous skin lesions).

11, or 7 percent, received an uncertain final diagnosis.

Other common diagnoses included atopic dermatitis (chronic itchy rash), eczema, urticaria (hives) and psoriasis.

"Although skin diseases cause few fatalities, they have an appreciable role in combat and operational primary care," the authors write.

"This series illustrates the dermatologic diagnoses that are troublesome for both patients and clinicians in U.S. Central Command. The results of this study largely agree with observations from the first Persian Gulf War and in other 20th-century American and British conflicts: eczemateous and atopic dermatitis and other chronic skin conditions continue to be among the most common reasons that deployed military personnel seek dermatologic care."

Identifying individuals with these conditions before deployment, emphasizing preventive measures and developing treatment plans may reduce the number of evacuations and their resulting impact on combat units, the authors recommend.

Efforts should also be made to improve the accuracy of dermatologic diagnoses in the combat zone, perhaps by creating virtual dermatology clinics so that off-site specialists can provide consultation and support.

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Attribution/Source(s): This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by JAMA Network and published on 2009/02/16, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.