Dermatologic presentations of tropical diseases in travelers

Abstract

Dermatoses are one of the three most common presenting health care problems in returning travelers. The spectrum of travel-related dermatoses is broad, and includes tropical, cosmopolitan, and environmental skin diseases. Bacterial infections are the main cause of skin consultations in returning travelers. Most of these infections are not specific to the tropics and are the consequences of arthropod bites. Conversely, tropical skin infections are less commonly observed. Knowledge of imported dermatoses among Western physicians is limited, even though it is becoming increasingly important that doctors be able to recognize and differentiate between the diverse varieties of diseases. This review highlights the most recent developments regarding dermatologic presentations of tropical diseases in travelers in order to provide more effective pre-travel counseling and an up-to-date aid to post-travel diagnosis and treatment.