Cutaneous changes in patients with demential syndromes

Jacek Szepietowski; Beata Wiśnicka

Vol 3, No 1 (2004): Polish Palliative Medicine

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Published online: 2003-10-27

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Cutaneous changes in patients with demential syndromes

Jacek Szepietowski, Beata Wiśnicka

Advances in Palliative Medicine 2004;3(1):33-38.

Vol 3, No 1 (2004): Polish Palliative Medicine

Artykuły poglądowe

Published online: 2003-10-27

Abstract

In the aging population vascular and degenerative nervous system diseases leading to cognitive functions impairment - and where age is main risk factor, will grow. The most often found among them seems to be Alzheimer’s disease (50–70% cases of dementia), dementia with Lewy bodies, vascular type of dementia and others. Connections between skin and nervous system are common as both, epidermis and nervous system, originate from ectoderma. Dermatological aspects of dementia could be divided into the following groups: jatrogenic lesions, skin lesions due to poor hygiene, psychogenic/neurogenic pruritus, skin lesions as an element of syndromes with dementia, skin lesions associated with vascular dementia, hair and nail abnormalities in Alzheimer’s disease and skin as object, where diagnostic procedures could be performed (Lafora’s disease, CADASIL syndrome).