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    Discoid Eczema (Ekzema Numularis)

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    Joel Nathaniel Richard Joseph
    Discoid eczema, also known as nummular dermatitis, causes round or oval patches of dry, blistered skin that can occur anywhere but often affects the lower legs. While the exact cause is unknown, factors like dry skin, minor injuries, bacterial infections, and atopic dermatitis may play a role. The rash consists of well-defined pink, red, or brown patches that are dry, cracked, or blistered. Treatment focuses on moisturizing the skin, using topical corticosteroids and antibiotics to reduce inflammation and prevent infection, and occasionally oral medications. With treatment, discoid eczema lesions often clear up completely, though they may recur if treatment is stopped

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    Discoid Eczema (Ekzema Numularis)

    Uploaded by

    Joel Nathaniel Richard Joseph
    111 views2 pages
    Discoid eczema, also known as nummular dermatitis, causes round or oval patches of dry, blistered skin that can occur anywhere but often affects the lower legs. While the exact cause is unknown, factors like dry skin, minor injuries, bacterial infections, and atopic dermatitis may play a role. The rash consists of well-defined pink, red, or brown patches that are dry, cracked, or blistered. Treatment focuses on moisturizing the skin, using topical corticosteroids and antibiotics to reduce inflammation and prevent infection, and occasionally oral medications. With treatment, discoid eczema lesions often clear up completely, though they may recur if treatment is stopped

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    Ekszema Numularis

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    Ekszema Numularis

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    Discoid eczema, also known as nummular dermatitis, causes round or oval patches of dry, blistered skin that can occur anywhere but often affects the lower legs. While the exact cause is unknown, factors like dry skin, minor injuries, bacterial infections, and atopic dermatitis may play a role. The rash consists of well-defined pink, red, or brown patches that are dry, cracked, or blistered. Treatment focuses on moisturizing the skin, using topical corticosteroids and antibiotics to reduce inflammation and prevent infection, and occasionally oral medications. With treatment, discoid eczema lesions often clear up completely, though they may recur if treatment is stopped

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    111 views2 pages

    Discoid Eczema (Ekzema Numularis)

    Uploaded by

    Joel Nathaniel Richard Joseph
    Discoid eczema, also known as nummular dermatitis, causes round or oval patches of dry, blistered skin that can occur anywhere but often affects the lower legs. While the exact cause is unknown, factors like dry skin, minor injuries, bacterial infections, and atopic dermatitis may play a role. The rash consists of well-defined pink, red, or brown patches that are dry, cracked, or blistered. Treatment focuses on moisturizing the skin, using topical corticosteroids and antibiotics to reduce inflammation and prevent infection, and occasionally oral medications. With treatment, discoid eczema lesions often clear up completely, though they may recur if treatment is stopped

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    Discoid eczema (Ekzema Numularis)

    What is discoid eczema?


    Discoid eczema, also known as nummular dermatitis, is a common type of dermatitis in which there are round or oval blistered or dry skin
    lesions. Discoid eczema can occur at any age and affects males and females equally.

    What is the cause of discoid eczema?


    The cause of discoid eczema is unknown. There are dry and wet types.
    In most cases, discoid eczema does not run in families. It does not result from food allergy. It is not infectious to other people, although it
    sometimes becomes secondarily infected by bacteria.

    Minor skin injury such as an insect bite or a burn may start it off.

    In some children, it is a manifestation of atopic dermatitis.

    Autoeczematisation or id reactions can present as discoid eczema.

    It may be termed varicose eczema when it runs along the leg veins or may complicate gravitational eczema.

    Dry skin in the winter months can cause dry non-itchy round patches.

    The wet type presents as crusted or blistered patches.

    Discoid eczema has been observed to be more prevalent in association with alcohol abuse.

    What does discoid eczema look like?


    Discoid eczema can affect any part of the body particularly the lower leg. One or many patches appear, and may persist for weeks or
    months.
    The majority of patches are round or oval, hence the name discoid or nummular dermatitis, which refers to their disc or coin shape. They
    can be several centimetres across, or as small as two millimetres.
    The patches are pink, red, or brown and well defined. They have a dry cracked surface or a bumpy, blistered or crusted surface. Discoid
    eczema may be extremely itchy, or scarcely noticeable. The skin between the patches is usually normal, but may be dry and irritable.
    Severe discoid eczema may generalise, with numerous small to large itchy lesions appearing all over the body due
    to autoeczematisation reaction.
    The patches may clear up without leaving a sign. However, in darker skins, marks may persist for months. These may be dark brown
    (postinflammatory hyperpigmentation) or paler than surrounding skin (postinflammatory hypopigmentation).

    What tests should be done?


    In most cases, no investigations are necessary as the appearance of discoid eczema is quite characteristic. Bacterial swabs may
    reveal Staphylococcus aureus colonisation or infection. Scrapings are commonly taken for mycology, as discoid eczema can look very
    similar to tinea corporis (ringworm infection).
    Sometimes patch testing is arranged to see whether there could be a contact allergy responsible for the dermatitis. In most cases no specific
    allergy can be found.

    What is the treatment of discoid eczema?


    As discoid eczema is associated with loss of skin barrier function, it is important to:
    Protect the skin from injury.
    As this type of dermatitis often starts off as minor skin injuries, protect all your skin carefully. If the hands are affected, use gloves and tools
    to make sure the skin is not irritated by friction, detergents, solvents, other chemicals or excessive water.
    Apply emollients frequently
    Emollients include bath oils, soap substitutes and moisturizing creams. They can be applied to the dermatitis as frequently as required to
    relieve itching, scaling and dryness. Emollients should also be used on the unaffected skin to reduce dryness. It may be necessary to try
    several different products to find one that suits. Many people find one or more of the following helpful: sorbolene, glycerine &
    cetomacrogol cream, white soft paraffin/liquid paraffin mixed, fatty cream, wool fat lotions.
    Anti-inflammatory treatments include:
    Topical steroids
    Topical steroids are anti-inflammatory creams or ointments available on prescription which may clear the dermatitis and reduce irritation.
    The stronger products are applied to the patches just once or twice daily for about 15 days. They are repeated from time to time. Mild ones
    such as hydrocortisone are safe for daily use if necessary.
    Oral or topical antibiotics
    Antibiotics (most often flucloxacillin) are often prescribed if the dermatitis is blistered, sticky or crusted. Sometimes nummular dermatitis
    clears completely on oral antibiotics, only to recur when they are discontinued.
    Other treatments sometimes prescribed for severe discoid eczema include:
    Oral antihistamines
    Antihistamine pills may reduce the itching, and are particularly helpful at night-time. They do not clear the dermatitis. Non-sedating
    antihistamines appear less useful for discoid eczema than first-generation antihistamines taken at night to help sleep.
    Ultraviolet radiation (UV) treatment
    Phototherapy several times weekly for 6 to 12 weeks can reduce extent and severity of discoid eczema.
    Steroid injections
    Intralesional steroids are sometimes injected into one or two particularly stubborn areas of discoid eczema. This treatment is unsuitable for
    multiple lesions.
    Oral steroids
    Systemic steroids are reserved for severe and extensive cases of nummular dermatitis. They are usually prescribed for a few weeks, while
    continuing steroid creams and emollients on residual dermatitis.
    Other oral treatments
    Persistent and troublesome discoid eczema is occasionally treated with methotrexate, azathioprine or ciclosporin. These medicines have
    important risks and side effects and require careful monitoring by a specialist dermatologist but may be more suitable in many cases than
    long-term s steroids.
    Nummular dermatitis can usually be controlled with the above measures, although it has a tendency to recur when the treatment has been
    stopped. In most patients the dermatitis eventually clears up completely.

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