National and state-level epidemiology of seborrheic dermatitis in the U.S., 2010–2021

Summary: <br /> Background:<b> </b>Seborrheic dermatitis (SD) is a chronic, relapsing inflammatory skin condition that typically affects sebum-rich areas—such as the scalp, face, neck, and upper trunk—in infants and adults. Despite its recognized clinical presentation, the burden of SD in the United States remains insufficiently characterized. Objective: To estimate the national and state-level incidence, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of SD in the United States. Methods:<b> </b>In this population-based study, we used established methods from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2021 to quantify age-standardized rates for incidence (ASIR), prevalence (ASPR), and DALY burdens in the US. All estimates were calculated with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). Results:<b> </b>In 2021, there were 6,208,935 incident cases of SD in the US, a 4.6% increase since 2010. ASIR was 1,913.1 per 100,000 (95% UI: 1,771.6–2,048.7), ASPR was 319.2 per 100,000 (95% UI: 301.8–338.2), and DALYs were 4.2 per 100,000 (95% UI: 2.5–6.7), remaining largely stable since 2010. ASIR was 23% higher in females than males. Rates were higher in adults than in infants and children, peaking in middle adulthood (ages 30–50 years). State-level variations were noted, with the highest burden in the District of Columbia, Hawaii, and Florida and the lowest in New Mexico, Maine, and Wyoming. Conclusion:<b> </b>In the US, despite an increase in total cases, the incidence rate of seborrheic dermatitis has remained largely stable since 2010. Higher incidence was observed in females and middle-aged adults. State-level variations warrant further research into underlying driving factors. Hossein Akbarialiabad¹, Mohammad Hossein Taghrir², Brad Glick⁶, Mahmoud Ghannoum⁵, Alireza Abdshah³, Christopher G. Bunick⁴, Ayman Grada⁵ 1. Department of Dermatology, University of Utah Hospital, Salt Lake City, UT, United States. 2. Department of Dermatology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Fars Province, Iran (the Islamic Republic of). 3. Department of Dermatology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States. 4. Department of Dermatology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States. 5. Department of Dermatology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States. 6. Department of Dermatology, Glick Skin Institute, Margate, FL, United States. Clinical Research: Epidemiology and Observational Research