Skin and soft tissue disorders associated with tobacco, alcohol and drug abuse may be presented as the earliest clinical manifestation of these disorders. Chronical tobacco use has indirect effects on atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and Crohn’s disease, in addition to its direct effects such as cosmetic disorders, stomatitis, intraoral tumors and smoking-induced burns. Atherosclerotic peripheral vascular disease, thromboangiitis obliterans, Raynaud’s syndrome are associated with tobacco abuse. Also, in addition to close relationship between tobacco and cancers, there are also effects on nutrition, healing process and response to antimalarials in smokers. Alcohol abuse also predisposes to development of skin carcinomas similarly as tobacco use. Cutaneous signs of drug abuse include skin granulomas, ulcerations, and recurrent infections. Predetermining the skin and soft tissue disorders associated with substance abuse will allow the diagnosis and planning of treatment algorithms in the patients.
Keywords: substance abuse, plastic surgery, soft tissue diseases