Skincare Treated

Nummular Dermatitis Common in Senior Citizens

Nummular dermatitis is a type of eczema seen mainly in older men. In fact, eczema itself is a generic word that typifies a host of skin rashes and allergies. These word eczema and atopic dermatitis are often used interchangeably.

Origin of the Term

Patients with nummular dermatitis have excessively dry and scaly skin with red, itchy spots that look like small coins or discs. In fact, the term nummular is derived from the Latin word “nummus” which means “coin”.

The skin gets extremely dry leading to the formation of scales. Scales are the result of the hardening of the outermost layer of the epidermis called the stratum corneum. It consists of dead cells and the protein keratin. The cells in this layer have no nucleus.

These cells either accumulate to form a hardened layer or they shed and fall off.

Papules and Scales

Before the scales form, the skin breaks out in small papules or water-filled vesicles or blisters. These burst, dry and then crust over into clusters of scales or plaques.

Nummular dermatitis is a chronic or long-term condition and rashes break out usually on the forearms, lower legs and buttocks and on the backs of the hands. The condition worsens in winter when the weather is cold and dry and humidity in the atmosphere drops.

There are some other skin conditions that look like nummular dermatitis but are not the same. These are psoriasis, tinea corporis, and parapsoriasis.

Other Similar Diseases

Sometimes, rashes that are a reaction to certain drugs could look like nummular dermatitis though patients usually do not experience an itchy sensation.

A resemblance has also been found between nummular dermatitis and impetigo, Bowen’s disease and mycosis fungoides.

As we mentioned earlier, nummular dermatitis is one of many types of eczema. Contact dermatitis is another kind. This kind of eczema develops when an individual is especially sensitized to an allergen in the environment.

The allergen could be anything from nickel in jewellery to certain perfumes and cosmetics, certain synthetic fabrics or washing soaps and detergents.

Skin Allergy

Contact with these substances or allergens sets of a skin reaction characterised by an itchy rash that may also cause a burning sensation.

Usually, once contact is severed, the allergy begins to subside. Apart from nummular dermatitis, the other types of atopic dermatitis are seborrheic eczema, neurodermatitis, and dyshidrotic eczema and stasis dermatitis.