Introduction:

chronic actinic damage is a group of alterations in the structure, function, and appearance of the skin as a result of uncontrolled exposure to ultraviolet radiation. It can cause skin cancer.

Objective:

to characterize the patients with chronic actinic damage, treated at the Dermatology consultation of Valle Hermoso Community Hospital, in the department of Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Materials and methods:

a descriptive, prospective clinical study was conducted in a universe of 1,833 patients diagnosed with chronic actinic damage, treated at the Dermatology clinic of the Valle Hermoso Community Hospital, Cochabamba, between September 2017 and September 2018. The variables age, sex, skin color, skin phototype, occupation, use of sun protectors, exposure to other types of radiation, clinical manifestations of photodamage and altitude of the place of residence were evaluated.

Results:

the age group from 25 to 59 years, the female sex, mestizo skin color (77.08 %), the IV skin phototype (76.98 %) and merchant occupation (72.56 %) predominated. Most patients (82.7 %) did not use sun protection means, and 99.8 % had no other radiation exposure. The prevailing photodamage lesions were melasma (83.03 %) and lentigo (12.22 %). 99.29 % lived in high altitude areas.

Conclusions:

the patients with chronic actinic damage were characterized, obtaining in some variables studied results similar to those mentioned by other researchers.

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