Dyshidrotic eczema (pompholyx)
Dyshidrotic eczema (pompholyx) — extra information
Eczemas
February
Author(s): Maitreyi Aria Jain (Medical Student) and Honorary Associate Professor Paul Jarrett (Dermatologist), Middlemore Hospital and Department of Medicine, The University of Auckland, New Zealand ()
Reviewing dermatologist: Dr Ian Coulson
Edited by the DermNet content department
Introduction
Demographics
Causes
Clinical features
Variation in skin types
Complications
Diagnosis
Differential diagnoses
Treatment
Outcome
What is dyshidrotic eczema?
Dyshidrotic eczema (pompholyx) is an itchy, chronic, recurrent, often symmetric eruption on the palms of hands, fingers, and soles of the feet. It is characterised by small, deep-seated, 1–2 mm fluid-filled vesicles on these sites, which resolve after several weeks with scaling.
Debate exists around precise terminology and definitions but other names for this condition include pompholyx, acute and recurrent vesicular hand dermatitis, acute palmoplantareczema, vesicular endogenous eczema, cheiropompholyx (affecting the hands), podopompholyx or pedopompholyx (affecting the feet), and cheiropodopompholyx.
Pompholyx (dyshidrotic) eczema
Pompholyx eczema
Jump to:
Introduction
What causes it?
Treatment
Additional treatments for severe pompholyx
Practical management
Introduction
Pompholyx eczema (also known as dyshidrotic eczema) is a type of eczema that affects the hands and feet. It involves the development of intensely itchy, watery blisters, affecting the sides of the fingers, the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Some people have pompholyx eczema on their hands and/or feet with other types of eczema elsewhere on the body. This condition can occur at any age but is usually seen in adults under 40, and is more common in women.
The skin is initially very itchy with a burning or prickling sensation. Then comes a sudden crop of small blisters (vesicles), which turn into bigger, weepy blisters, which can become infected. When the skin is infected, there is inflammation, irritation/pain, swelling and pustules. There is often subsequent peeling as the skin dries out, and people of any skin colour can experience skin that is red or darker than the surrounding skin and dry, with painful cracks (skin fissures). Pompholyx eczema can also affect the nail fold
Dyshidrotisk eksem. Årsag og behandling
Dyshidrotisk eksem er et udslæt med ukendt baggrund, domineret af blærer i forskellige størrelser. Sygdommen rammer mest midaldrende.
Redaktionen
Dyshidrotisk eksem forekommer normalt på hænder og fingre (80 %), mere sjældent på fødderne. En form med særligt store blærer kaldes vesikulos eller pompholyx. Denne form for eksem skyldes dog oftest en kraftig allergisk reaktion.
Det kliniske sygdomsbillede
Dyshidrotisk eksem begynder oftest med de klassiske små blærer langs fingrene. Derefter spreder det sig til håndfladerne med udbrud af rødme, afskalning, blærer og sår efter tidligere blærer.
Årsag til dyshidrotisk eksem
Alle typer eksem har en vis grad af blærer. Jo mere akut eksemen er, des flere og større blærer kommer der. En bagvedliggende allergi behøver ikke at være skyld i en ren dyshidrotisk eksem. Tilstanden har navnet dyshidrotisk fordi man tidligere troede, at sved i huden kunne være årsag til eksemet, især når det dukkede op i miljøer med høj varme og fugtighed. Alvorlig psykologisk stress synes også at ligge bag nogle af tilfældene.
Omkring halvdelen af patienterne har såkaldt atopisk baggrund, dvs. de har ell
Eczema types: Dyshidrotic eczema overview
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