Abstract
Two hundred and fifty-four patients with caterpillar dermatitis treated in the Department of Dermatology, Kudanzaka Hospital, from 1977 to 1996,were studied. Of the 254 patients, 163 were male, so the male-female ratio was 1.8 : 1. The ages of patients ranged from 2 to 79. The predominant age was 40 to 59 for male (52% of all males) and 26 to 29 for females. About half of the male patients in the predominant age group came in contact with caterpillars during gardening on weekends. Seasonal prevalence showed two peaks, the maximum was in July and the next highest in September. The causative insect was predominantly thought to be Euproctis pseudoconspersa. During twenty-year period, the highest number of patients visited our clinic in 1996,followed by 1989 and 1984. The relationship between the number of patients and climate conditions, which may affect the population of these insects, was investigated. However, no clear relationship between the two was observed.
