Introduction - nummular dermatitis Introduction Demographics Causes Clinical features Diagnosis Treatment Outcome
Nummular dermatitis is a common inflammatory disorder of the skin. It is also known as nummular eczema, discoid eczema or discoid dermatitis due to its distinctive, disc-shaped lesions. It can also be referred to as exudative neurodermatitis or nummular eczematous dermatitis.
The drug-induced form of nummular dermatitis is diagnosed when its onset is associated with certain medications.
Drug-induced nummular dermatitis has similar risk factors to the non-drug-induced form of nummular dermatitis; these include:
Nummular dermatitis can be caused by drugs that affect the function of the epidermal barrier or immune response. Drugs that can lead to excessive skin dryness and dermatitis include:
Nummular dermatitis presents with bilateral, well-defined circular, oval or disc-shaped erythematous plaques. They can be dry or exudative (oozy).
The diagnosis of drug-induced nummular dermatitis is based on taking a careful patient history and a physical examination. Additional investigations may include:
Treatments for nummular dermatitis aim to rehydrate the skin and repair the epidermal barrier. Treatment can include:
Nummular dermatitis may take months or sometimes years to resolve. When drug-induced, it may clear up more quickly on the cessation of the medicine that caused dermatitis to appear.
