Seborrheic eczema
Causes and symptoms of seborrheic eczema
Seborrheic eczema is a chronic dermatosis that always presents with a reddish rash of small nodules. Over time, these nodules form plaques, which are heavily covered with dense crusts and oily scales. Removing the crusts usually reveals a damp surface. It should be noted that rashes in this disease are localized in the folds of the skin, behind the ears, on the head, on the face, in the umbilical region, on the bends of the limbs and even on the skin of the trunk.
Modern diagnostics of seborrheic eczema includes primarily dermatoscopy and scraping for the presence of pathogenic fungi. In addition, it is necessary to get advice from other specialists, as well as make an examination of the digestive tract and conduct the necessary studies of the immunological and hormonal status. In most cases, when the diagnosis is confirmed, the main treatment is carried out with simple antimicrobial drugs, physiotherapy methods in combination with vitamins.
Seborrheic eczema is considered the most popular clinical form. It can occur at absolutely any age and equally in patients of both sexes. Often, such a dangerous disease develops as a typical complication of seborrheic dermatitis. It is this type of eczema that characterizes the first manifestations of AIDS in HIV-infected patients. A distinctive feature of seborrheic eczema can be noted its rapid spread throughout the skin.
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Causes of seborrheic eczema
Modern dermatology confirms the infectious and allergic nature of the development of this disease. In most cases, patients have Pityrosporum ovale or Candida fungi in the lesions. Staphylococci manifest themselves somewhat less frequently.
The main predisposing factors are various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, increased secretion production by numerous sebaceous glands, serious disorders in the liver, obesity, hormonal abnormalities, as well as dangerous vegetative-vascular dystonia. Many experts note that seborrheic eczema can be triggered by frequent acute respiratory viral infections, reduced immunity and all kinds of infectious foci of the chronic type.
Symptoms of seborrheic eczema
Typical seborrheic eczema always begins with small, pink-yellow nodules on the skin. As a rule, they increase in size over time and necessarily merge with each other. This leads to the inevitable formation of noticeable infiltrated plaques of an interesting disc-shaped form. Such peculiar plaques, covered with rather dense fatty scales, have a diameter of about two cm.
For lesions with seborrheic eczema, uneven edges and clear boundaries are characteristic. At the very beginning, inflammations look dry, and later they take on a greasy appearance. At the same time, itching practically does not bother patients. The lesions are transformed into a kind of rings or arcs. If the treatment is correctly selected, then after getting rid of such eczema, there will be no scars on the skin.
Seborrheic eczema primarily affects the scalp hair area. Then it expands to the forehead, neck, face and ears. The lesion is always clearly outlined with a red border. Often, the skin of the eyelids is affected, which is accompanied by redness and swelling. Then conjunctivitis joins. After that, seborrheic eczema spreads to the chest, in the interscapular regions and peri-umbilical zones. In rare cases, the disease is complicated by secondary infection.
Usually, a dermatologist can diagnose by visual examination. If necessary, he can prescribe a scraping study, dermatoscopy and fluorescent diagnostics. The indication for bacterial culture is secondary infection with seborrheic eczema.
To identify the concomitant factors in the development of this disease, it is recommended to consult other narrow specialists. Moreover, additional studies such as immunological blood tests, ultrasound diagnostics, pharyngoscopy and gastroscopy may be prescribed.
Seborrheic eczema treatment
Doctors recommend that all patients with severely increased sebum secretion significantly limit their daily intake of fatty, sweet, fried and spicy foods. Along with this, you should avoid staying in a hot, humid climate, you should not go to baths and saunas, and also avoid using random hair care products. It is also necessary to carefully select shampoos that will correspond to a certain type of oily hair.
Modern antimicrobial agents are indicated as a modern topical treatment for severe seborrheic eczema. Inside, the doctor may prescribe B vitamins and riboflavin. All kinds of physiotherapy methods have an excellent effect in the treatment of the disease. If a secondary infection has joined, then you cannot do without antibiotic therapy. Simply put, the treatment of seborrheic eczema involves the debridement of infectious foci in conjunction with the optimal therapy for a specific underlying disease.
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The author of the article: Kuzmina Vera Valerievna | Endocrinologist, nutritionist
Education: Diploma of the Russian State Medical University named after NI Pirogov with a degree in General Medicine (2004). Residency at Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, diploma in Endocrinology (2006).
