atopic dermatitis atopic dermatitis is a chronic skin disease characterized by itchy inflamed skin and is the most common cause of eczema. factors that may cause atopic dermatitis (allergens) include environmental factors like molds pollen or pollutants; contact irritants like soaps detergents nickel (in jewelry) or perfumes; food allergies; or other allergies. when the disease starts in infancy it is sometimes termed infantile eczema. atopic dermatitis tends to run in families and people who develop the condition often have a family history of other allergic conditions such as asthma or hay fever. contact eczema contact eczema (contact dermatitis) is a localized reaction that includes redness itching and burning in areas where the skin has come into contact with an allergen (an allergy-causing substance to which an individual is sensitized) or with a general irritant such as an acid a cleaning agent or other chemical. due to the vast number of substances with which individuals have contact it can be difficult to determine the trigger for contact dermatitis. the condition is sometimes referred to as allergic contact eczema. skin reactions to poison ivy and poison sumac are examples of allergic contact eczema. people who have a history of allergies have an increased risk for developing contact eczema. seborrheic eczema seborrheic eczema (seborrheic dermatitis) is a form of skin inflammation of unknown cause. the signs and symptoms of seborrheic eczema include yellowish oily scaly patches of skin on the scalp face and occasionally other parts of the body. dandruff and "cradle cap" in infants are examples of seborrheic eczema. this condition tends to run in families. emotional stress oily skin infrequent shampooing and weather conditions may all increase a person's risk of developing seborrheic eczema. nummular eczema nummular eczema (nummular dermatitis) is characterized by coin-shaped patches of irritated skin -- most commonly located on the arms back buttocks and lower legs -- that may be crusted scaling and extremely itchy. this form of eczema is relatively uncommon and occurs most frequently in elderly men. nummular eczema is usually a chronic condition. a personal or family history of atopic dermatitis asthma or allergies increases the risk of developing the condition. neurodermatitis neurodermatitis also known as lichen simplex chronicus is a chronic skin inflammation caused by a scratch-itch cycle that begins with a localized itch (such as an insect bite) that becomes intensely irritated when scratched. women are more commonly affected by neurodermatitis than men and the condition is most frequent in people 20-50 years of age. this form of eczema results in scaly patches of skin on the head lower legs wrists or forearms. stasis dermatitis stasis dermatitis is a skin irritation on the lower legs generally related to the circulatory problem known as venous insufficiency in which the function of the valves within the veins has been compromised. stasis dermatitis occurs almost exclusively in middle-aged and elderly people with approximately 6%-7% of the population over 50 years of age being affected by the condition. symptoms include itching and/or reddish-brown discoloration of the skin on one or both legs. dyshidrotic eczema dyshidrotic eczema (dyshidrotic dermatitis) is an irritation of the skin on the palms of hands and soles of the feet characterized by clear deep blisters that itch and burn. the cause of dyshidrotic eczema is unknown. this form of eczema occurs in up to 20% of people with hand eczema and is more common during the spring and summer months and in warmer climates.
what are the different types of eczema?