<sec><title>BACKGROUND:</title> Ephelides are small hyperpigmented macules common in the skin, presenting as areas with increased melanin production. Ephelides are observed in genetically predisposed individuals, particularly fair-skinned people highly susceptible to sunburn. </...

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Main Authors: Eudes Euler de Souza Lucena, Ana Claudia de Queiroz Castro, Danielle Bezerra de Farias, Pérola Teixeira de Lima, Éricka Janine Dantas da Silveira, Kenio Costa de Lima
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Dermatologia 2013-02-01
Series:Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0365-05962013000100056
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Summary:<sec><title>BACKGROUND:</title> Ephelides are small hyperpigmented macules common in the skin, presenting as areas with increased melanin production. Ephelides are observed in genetically predisposed individuals, particularly fair-skinned people highly susceptible to sunburn. </sec><sec><title>OBJECTIVES:</title> This study aimed to determine the prevalence of lip and perioral ephelides in 362 beach workers in the city of Natal (Rio Grande do Norte) and to investigate potential associations with sociodemographic, occupational and general health. </sec><sec><title>METHODS: </title>For this purpose clinical tests were performed by calibrated examiners in the epidemiological area around the lips and the area bounded laterally by the nasolabial groove and at the bottom by the chin. A questionnaire was completed and assessed. The possible associations between sociodemographic variables, occupational and general health with the presence of lip and perioral ephelides were evaluated by chi-square test for a significance level of 5%. </sec><sec><title>RESULTS:</title> Approximately one third of the workers were affected by perioral ephelides (33.7%) and around a quarter of them by lip ephelides (24.0%). Gender was the only variable significantly associated with the presence of perioral ephelides (p = 0.002), unlike lip ephelides which proved to be significantly associated with habits (p = 0.036) and alcoholism (0.030). </sec><sec><title>CONCLUSIONS: </title>The prevalence of ephelides in lip and perioral region was high in the study population, with gender and certain habits associated with its occurrence.</sec><br><sec><title>FUNDAMENTOS:</title> Ef&#233;lides s&#227;o m&#225;culas hiperpigmentadas pequenas, comuns na pele, que constituem uma &#225;rea com maior aumento da produ&#231;&#227;o de melanina. S&#227;o observadas em indiv&#237;duos geneticamente predispostos, de pele clara, com grande suscetibilidade a queimaduras solares. </sec><sec><title>OBJETIVOS:</title> Esse estudo teve o prop&#243;sito de verificar a preval&#234;ncia de ef&#233;lides labiais e periorais em 362 trabalhadores de praias do munic&#237;pio de Natal/RN e investigar potenciais associa&#231;&#245;es com vari&#225;veis sociodemogr&#225;ficas, ocupacionais e de sa&#250;de geral. </sec><sec><title>M&#201;TODOS: </title>Para tanto, foram realizados exames cl&#237;nicos por examinadores calibrados, na &#225;rea correspondente aos l&#225;bios e na &#225;rea delimitada lateralmente pelo sulco nasolabial e inferiormente pelo mento, al&#233;m de preenchimento de question&#225;rio validado. As poss&#237;veis associa&#231;&#245;es das vari&#225;veis sociodemogr&#225;ficas, ocupacionais e de sa&#250;de geral com a presen&#231;a de ef&#233;lides labiais e periorais foram avaliadas pelo teste do qui-quadrado para um n&#237;vel de signific&#226;ncia de 5%. </sec><sec><title>RESULTADOS:</title> Aproximadamente um ter&#231;o dos trabalhadores foi acometido por ef&#233;lides perioral (33,7%) e um quarto por ef&#233;lides labial (24,0%). O g&#234;nero foi a &#250;nica vari&#225;vel que se mostrou associada significativamente com a presen&#231;a de ef&#233;lides periorais (p=0,002), ao contr&#225;rio das ef&#233;lides labiais que mostrou-se associada significativamente com h&#225;bito (p=0,036) e etilismo (0,030). </sec><sec><title>CONCLUS&#213;ES: </title>Conclui-se que a preval&#234;ncia de ef&#233;lides em regi&#227;o perioral e labial foi elevada na popula&#231;&#227;o estudada e o g&#234;nero e h&#225;bitos foram associadas &#224; sua ocorr&#234;ncia.</sec>
ISSN:0365-0596
1806-4841