Skin diseases in Asian individuals that you do not want to miss: A selection of unique or relatively more common conditions in Asian populations

Abstract

The Asian population currently constitutes a simple majority of the global population, comprising nearly 60%. The percentage of the US population that identifies as Asian is expected to grow to 41 million by the year 2050, making up an eventual 9% of the US population. As the world and US populations of Asian individuals increase, the demand for dermatologic care from this population will increase, requiring dermatologists to become more familiar with the diagnosis and treatment of Asian-specific skin characteristics and diseases. In this contribution, we review skin conditions specific to or relatively more common in Asian patients to help recognition and management of diseases in an increasing Asian patient population. We discuss prurigo pigmentosa, primary cutaneous plasmacytosis, lipodystrophia centrifugalis abdominalis infantilis, Epstein-Barr viru-positive T- and natural killer-cell lymphoproliferative disorders, acquired bilateral nevus of Ota-like macules, and Behҫet disease.