Eczema: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

Eczema is "a general term for any superficial inflammatory process involving the epidermis primarily, marked early by redness, itching, minute papules and vesicles, weeping, oozing and crusting, and later by scaling, lichenification and often pigmentation."1 It is also used specifically to refer to the condition atopic dermatitis.

The word eczema comes from the Greek word ekzein meaning "to boil out"; the Greek word ek means "out," while the Greek word zema means "boiling."

You will also see introductions at the end of some sections to any recent eczema developments that have been covered by MNT's news stories. Also look out for links to information about related conditions.

Fast facts on eczema

Here are some key points about eczema. More detail and supporting information is in the main article.

The term 'eczema' is used in two different ways. It can be used widely to describe any rash-like skin conditions. It is usually used specifically to refer to the most common type of these skin conditions: atopic dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic skin condition that commonly starts during infancy and continues through into childhood. Some people outgrow the condition while some people will continue to have it into adulthood.

The word "atopic" refers to a collection of immune-mediated diseases, including atopic dermatitis, asthma and hay fever, to which a person can inherit a predisposition. "Dermatitis" means inflammation of the skin.

There are many different types of eczema. This article will predominantly focus on atopic dermatitis. Other variants include:2

This video by the Eczema Society of Canada explains what eczema is and why it occurs.

Excerpt from:
Eczema: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments