Proportion of skin surface area of children and young adults from 2 to 18 years old

Abstract

When studying the density of skin lesions, calculations of relative density are based on charts of proportion of skin surface area. However, the current source of information is derived from skewed data obtained at the beginning of the twentieth century. Using more recent data from a population-based sample of children in the United States, we propose a new set of tables. Data from measurements taken in the United States in the 1970s for design and safety were applied to the computer-based model MAN3D. This model, originally created for ergonomic studies in the automotive industry, allowed us to obtain a precise estimate of the main surface areas of children. Compared with previously published studies, our estimates increased the relative proportion of arms and of the trunk and allowed for differentiation of these proportions by sex. New tables are proposed for epidemiological studies of skin lesion density in children. © 2007 The Society for Investigative Dermatology.