Atypical Presentation of Miliaria in Iraqi Patients Attending Al -Kindy Teaching Hospital in Baghdad: A Clinical Descriptive Study

Miliaria is a common disease in hot humid climate. It caused by blockage of the sweat ducts, which results in the leakage of eccrine sweat into the epidermis or dermis. According to the level of sweat duct obstruction, miliaria is subdivided into three main types: miliaria crystallina, miliaria rubra and miliaria profunda. The aim was to study the clinical types of miliaria in patients attending Al-Kindy Teaching Hospital in Baghdad. This study was done in the Department of Dermatology and Venereology in Al- Kindy Teaching Hospital during the period from April 2010 to November 2011. A total of 113 patients exposed to extreme heat including eighty nine males and twenty four females. Their ages ranged between one year and fifty two years with a median of thirty one years. All of them complaining of itchy rash at different sites of the body. The patients were examined fully and diagnosed as miliaria depending on a clinical aspect, and all were photographed using a digital camera SONY DSC-T700 10.1 Megapixel. Through studying (113) patients with heat rash, eight patients (7.7%) shows classical miliaria rubra and 105 cases(92.9%) show a peculiar type of sweat rash that differ from the classical miliaria ; these type of lesions appear as dry red to red brown toasted-like patches or erythematous sun–burn like lesion. Neither miliaria crystalina nor miliaria profunda was reported. In conclusion, the commonest type of miliaria that has been observed in patients included in this study was a peculiar type of sweat rash. The lesions appear as brown toasted-like or erythematous sun –burn like patches associated with mild to moderate itching seen mainly on the trunk or the site of friction. This type is regarded as atypical type of miliaria that differs from the known classical forms of miliaria.