Eczema is a form of dermatitis, or inflammation of the upper layers of the skin. The term eczema is broadly applied to a range of persistent or recurring skin rashes characterized by redness, skin edema, itching and dryness, with possible crusting, flaking, blistering, cracking, oozing or bleeding. Areas of temporary skin discoloration sometimes characterize healed lesions, though scarring is rare.

Types

Eczema classification remains haphazard and unsystematized, and the proliferation of synonyms hinders understanding. At times, there is focus on the location (e.g. hand eczema), or on the specific appearance (eczema craquele or discoid), and other times on possible cause (varicose eczema). Herpetiformis and dyshidrosis are misnomers. Further adding to the confusion, many sources use the term eczema and the term for the most common type of eczema (atopic eczema) interchangeably.