Who can get pompholyx?
No one knows how a sufferer first contracts pompholyx. It can affect individuals of all races. It is most common in individuals between the ages of twenty to forty. It occurs slightly more frequently in women than in men.
It is interesting that 75% of those with pompholyx are smokers, 50% are atopic and 20% have allergies to nickel. It is always worth patch testing these individuals as allergic reactions to chrome, perfumes, rubber, colophony, preservatives and plants have also been noted.
It is generally felt that the frequency of episodes reduces as people get older. Although this may not be the case for individuals.
Other names for Pompholyx
Pompholyx is also known as pompholyx eczema; hand eczema; dyshidrotic eczema; hand dermatitis; dyshidrotic dermatitis; dyshidrosis; cheiropompholyx (pompholyx of the hands); pedopompholyx (pompholyx of the feet); vesicular eczema of the hands.
The word dyshidrotic ("bad sweating" in Greek) is used because it is felt that this condition is related to sweat glands, but this association has not been proven. The name pompholyx comes from the Greek word for bubble, which accurately describes this disorder.
The word dyshidrotic ("bad sweating" in Greek) is used because it is felt that this condition is related to sweat glands, but this association has not been proven. The name pompholyx comes from the Greek word for bubble, which accurately describes this disorder.
How the doctors describe pompholyx
Dyshidrotic eczema is a type of eczema of unknown cause that is characterized by a pruritic vesicular eruption on the fingers, palms, and soles. The condition affects teenagers and adults and may be acute, recurrent, or chronic. The clinical course of pompholyx can range from self-limited to chronic, severe, or debilitating. The condition's unresponsiveness to treatment can be frustrating for the patient and physician.
The etiology of pompholyx is unknown. The condition was inaccurately described in 1873 as dyshidrosis because of the clinical symptom of sweaty palms. The term dyshidrosis indicates a sweating abnormality, although histologic examination shows no evidence of eccrine glandular involvement.
Histologically, the vesicles are intraepidermal and spongiotic with little to no inflammatory changes. The more appropriate term for this vesicular eruption is pompholyx. While strong reasons to use the term pompholyx have been noted, dyshidrotic eczema remains a commonly used term. A tiny percentage of individuals with the disorder note flares after ingesting metal salts, specifically chromium, cobalt, and nickel. Diets that eliminate these metal salts may rarely have some clinical benefit.
The etiology of pompholyx is unknown. The condition was inaccurately described in 1873 as dyshidrosis because of the clinical symptom of sweaty palms. The term dyshidrosis indicates a sweating abnormality, although histologic examination shows no evidence of eccrine glandular involvement.
Histologically, the vesicles are intraepidermal and spongiotic with little to no inflammatory changes. The more appropriate term for this vesicular eruption is pompholyx. While strong reasons to use the term pompholyx have been noted, dyshidrotic eczema remains a commonly used term. A tiny percentage of individuals with the disorder note flares after ingesting metal salts, specifically chromium, cobalt, and nickel. Diets that eliminate these metal salts may rarely have some clinical benefit.
How can pompholyx be diagnosed?
Pompholyx is easily diagnosed by a doctor as it has very distinct symptoms; these are the tiny blisters that appear on the hands and/or the feet.
Find out more
This site provides you with some basic information about Pompholyx and the issues that arise from living with the ailment. If you want to do more research or if you want to know about treatments for Pompholyx and eczema we recommend searchig on Google.
2010