A descriptive study of patients with Pityriasis Rubra Pilaris admitted in Sina Hospital in Hamadan in 1991-99

Background: Pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP) is a rare skin disease characterized by follicular hyperkeratosis, perifollicular erythema with islands of normal skin scattered over the sheets of erythroderma, palmoplantar hyperkeratosis and pityriasis capitis with unknown etiology. Objective: This study has been done in order to determine the demographics, clinical and therapeutic aspects of PRP patients who were admitted to the dermatology ward of Sina Hospital in Hamadan in 1991-1999. Patients and Methods: This was a case series study, which the essential information was gathered by referring to the patients’ files. Then the obtained information was analyzed by SPSS software. Results: As PRP is a rare disease. Only 8 patients were identified. Five of them (61.5%) were men and 3 (37.5%) were women. The highest age of PRP patients was 66 years and the lowest was seven. The mean age of the patients was 32±19.4 years. None of the patients mentioned a positive family history. Six (75%) of the PRP patients suffered from Type I and two patients (25%) from Type III. Five patients (62.5%) were completely cured, all treated with retinoids, and three patients (37.5%) were partially cured, all treated with methotrexate. There was no case showing failure of the treatment. Conclusion: In this study the number of men was more than women. All of our patients suffered from Type 1 adult onset (Classic) or Type III juvenile onset. Retinoids showed more efficacy than methotrexate in the treatment of PRP.