Discoid eczema

Discoid eczema is a long-term skin condition that causes skin to become itchy, reddened, swollen and cracked in circular or oval patches.

It’s also known as discoid dermatitis.

The patches can be a few millimetres to a few centimetres in size and can affect any part of the body, although they don’t usually affect the face or scalp.

The patches are often swollen, blistered (covered with small fluid-filled pockets) and ooze fluid at first, but become dry, crusty, cracked and flaky over time.

The patches may clear up on their own eventually, but this can take weeks, months or even years if not treated, and they can recur.

Read more about the symptoms of discoid eczema.

Discoid eczema caused the skin to become dry, red and itchy. The rash is circular or oval shape.Source: https://dermnetnz.org/

Discoid eczema can appear as swollen and blistered patches.Source: https://dermnetnz.org/

Symptoms

Discoid eczema causes distinctive circular or oval patches of eczema.

The patches can appear anywhere on the body, including the:

lower legs forearms trunk (torso) hands feet

The face and scalp are not normally affected.

The first sign of discoid eczema is usually a group of small red spots or bumps on the skin. These then quickly join up to form larger pink, red or brown patches that can range from a few millimetres to several centimetres in size.

Initially, these patches are often swollen, blistered (covered with small fluid-filled pockets) and ooze fluid. They also tend to be very itchy, particularly at night.

Over time, the patches may become dry, crusty, cracked and flaky. The centre of the patch also sometimes clears, leaving a ring of discoloured skin that can be mistaken for ringworm.

You may just have one patch of discoid eczema, but most people have several patches. The skin between the patches is often dry.

Patches of discoid eczema can last for weeks, months or even years if not treated, and they can keeping recurring – often in the same area that was affected previously.

Occasionally, areas of skin affected by discoid eczema can be left permanently discoloured after the condition has cleared up.

Discoid eczema can occur anywhere on the body, including the ankles.Source: https://dermnetnz.org/