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Eczema

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Infantile eczema; Atopic dermatitis; Dermatitis - atopic

Treatment:

Treatment may vary depending on the appearance (stage) of the lesions -- acute "weeping" lesions, dry scaly lesions, or chronic dry, thickened lesions are each treated differently.

Avoid anything that makes the symptoms worse. This may include food allergens and irritants such as wool and lanolin.

Dry skin often makes the condition worse. When washing or bathing, keep water contact as brief as possible and use less soap than usual. After bathing, it is important to trap the moisture in the skin by applying lubricating cream on the skin while it is damp. Temperature changes and stress may cause sweating and aggravate the condition.

Treatment of weeping lesions may include soothing moisturizers, mild soaps, or wet dressings.

Mild anti-itch lotions or topical corticosteroids (low potency) may soothe less severe or healing areas, or dry scaly lesions.

Chronic thickened areas may be treated with ointments or creams that contain tar compounds, powerful anti-inflammatory medicines, and ingredients that lubricate or soften the skin. Systemic corticosteroids may be prescribed to reduce inflammation in some severe cases.

Medicines called topical immunomodulators (TIMs) may be prescribed in some cases. These medications do not contain corticosteroids. TIMs include tacrolimus (Protopic) and pimecrolimus (Elidel).

Expectations (prognosis):

Eczema is a chronic condition, but it may be controlled with treatment and by avoiding iirritants. In many cases, eczema in younger persons disappears by early adulthood.

Complications:

• Bacterial infections of the skin
• Permanent scars

Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if eczema does not respond to moisturizers or avoiding allergens, if symptoms worsen or treatment is ineffective, or if signs of infection (such as fever, redness, pain) occur.

References:

Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology . 4th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2004:41.

Goldman L, Ausiello D. Cecil Textbook of Medicine , 22nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2004:2458-2460.

• Review Date: 7/18/2007
• Reviewed By: Kevin Berman, MD, PhD, Associate, Atlanta Center for Dermatologic Disease, Atlanta, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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