Background: Nosocomial infection (NI) is a growing problem in healthcare today. Thus, surveillance of NI is an important aspect of modern infection control, which aims to improve the quality of care.Objectives: To identify overall and site-specific NI rates, etiology and outcome in the Dermatology ward at Cairo University Hospital (Kasr El-Ainy). Methods: In a cross-sectional study, over a period of three months, 180 patients were surveyed for NI and its risk factors according to criteria laid down by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The ward was visited daily; nursing and medical notes, microbiology reports, temperature charts and antibiotic treatment charts were assessed to determine symptoms and signs of infection. Samples were obtained from skin lesions upon admission and after 72 hours. Whenever infection was suspected, samples were obtained from the corresponding site or body fluids and submitted for microbiological evaluation. Results: Ten patients out of a total of 180 inpatients developed NI; 4 cases with urinary tract infection (UTI), 3 cases of skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI), 2 cases of conjunctivitis and one with chest infection. The intravenous cannula was the only medical device used during the study period. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was obtained in 50% of cultures, ending fatally in one patient. The nurse to patient ratio was 1:8, the length of stay (LOS) of patients who developed NI ranged from 17 to 50 days. Conclusions: The present study documents for the first time to our knowledge the state of nosocomial infection in an Egyptian university hospital dermatology ward. Patients’ hospital length of stay, administration of immunosuppressive drugs, mainly corticosteroids, low nurse to patient ratio and extent of involvement of the skin lesions were the main causes of NI development. Our data suggest that prevalence of NI in dermatology ward, 5.6 %, appears to be within the reported international levels, however, this value could be lowered by addressing the predisposing factors.