Professional Stigmata

Overview

Various scars, hyperkeratosis – tylomas, telangiectasias, changes in colour of skin, hair, changes of nails, teeth may arise on the surface of the body in the course of different occupations, usually under repeated mechanical insults, which may be explained with working activities. Professional stigmata may not be a serious but often a typical sign of exposure to different physical and chemical influences. They are not occupational diseases and they do not disturb the working achievement. However, they might be a sign indicating a suspicion of some professional diseases, which may be accompanied with professional stigmata (e.g. tattooing with coal on the trunk and shoulders may indicate during the physical examination to a possible coal exposure in the history, etc.). Sometimes, stigmata focus the attention to the necessity of detailed examination (e.g. suspicion of disease from the long-term excessive and one-sided load of extremities, impairment with some metals, etc.). Authors called the attention to their own observations of professional stigmata in the text and figures.

Key words:
hyperkeratosis, reactions to extraneous bodies, vascular symptoms, changes of skin and teeth, postural changes of backbone, prevalence related to working activities, own examples