asteatotic eczema

eczema

(eg-ze'ma, eg'ze-, ek'se-) [L. eczema, fr. Gr. ekzema, fr. ekzein, to boil out]

A general term for an itchy red rash that initially weeps or oozes serum and may become crusted, thickened, or scaly. Eczematous rash may result from various causes, including allergies, irritating chemicals, drugs, scratching or rubbing the skin, or sun exposure. It may be acute or chronic. The rash may become secondarily infected. See: dermatitis

Treatment

Avoiding the cause of the rash (such as a sun-sensitizing drug; the leaves of the poison oak plant; an irritating soap or perfume, wool clothing, etc) prevents recurrences and allows the skin to heal. Locally applied astringent solutions (such as Burow's solution), antihistamines, or corticosteroid ointments, tablets, or injections may relieve the inflammation.

Patient care

Patients are helped to identify and avoid allergens in their diet or environment. Clothing should be soft textured, preferably cotton, and washed in a mild detergent and rinsed thoroughly. Fingernails should be kept short to decrease damage from scratching. Antihistamines may help to reduce itching at night. Maintaining a room temperature below 72°F (22°C), using humidifiers during the winter, and bathing in tepid water help keep the skin hydrated and decrease itching. See: ;

asteatotic eczema

Winter itch.

dyshidrotic eczema

Pompholyx.

erythematous eczema

Dry, pinkish, ill-defined patches with itching and burning; slight swelling with tendency to spread and coalesce; branny scaling; roughness and dryness of skin. This type may become generalized.

eczema fissum

Eczema marked by a thick, dry, inelastic skin with cracks and fissures.

eczema herpeticum

Massive crops of vesicles that become pustular, occurring when herpes simplex virus infection occurs in a person, usually an infant, with pre-existing eczema. Synonym: Kaposi varicelliform eruption

lichenoid eczema

Eczema with thickening of the skin.

eczema madidans

Eczema marked by a raw, red surface covered with moisture.

NUMMULAR ECZEMA

nummular eczema

Eczema with coin-shaped or oval lesions. It is often associated with dry skin and worsens in dry weather. See: illustration

pustular eczema

Follicular, impetiginous, or consecutive eczema including eczema rubrum, eczema madidans, eczema fissum, and squamous eczema .

eczema rubrum

Eczema marked by a red, glazed surface with little oozing.

seborrheic eczema

Eczema marked by excessive secretion from the sebaceous glands. Synonym: seborrhea

squamous eczema

Chronic eczema on the soles, legs, and scalp; marked by multiple circumscribed, infiltrated patches with thin, dry scales

eczema vaccinatum

The spreading of vaccinia virus to localized areas of skin, or to the entire body, in patients recently vaccinated against smallpox. This reaction is a rare complication of smallpox vaccination, occurring in about 40 per million of newly vaccinated individuals. It usually occurs in people with pre-existing eczema and is occasionally fatal.

vesicular eczema

Eczema accompanied by the formation of vesicles occurring on the hands or feet.

Medical Dictionary, © 2009 Farlex and Partners

asteatotic eczema

A kind of dermatitis associated with the drying out of the skin characteristic of the elderly or the malnourished and especially those in conditions of low atmospheric humidity and excessively in contact with detergents and soaps. There is cracking and fissuring. Rehydration of the skin with water-based creams is effective.

Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005