Diagnosing Eczema

Features Important In Making A Diagnosis Of Eczema:

Itching
Dryness of the skin
Skin Inflammation
Secondary infection of the skin
Frequent flare-ups of eczema activity
Family history of eczema, hay fever or asthma

A UK working party in 1994 refined Hanafin and Rajka’s previous diagnostic criteria and developed ones based on a validated set of epidemiological data. They suggested the following:

Eczema is an itchy skin condition ... plus three or more of the following features:

Involvement of skin in front of the elbows, behind the knees, the side of the neck or on the cheeks of children
Personal history of asthma or hay fever, a history of atopic disease in first degree relatives in those under the age of 4 years
General dry skin in the previous year
Eczema present in the folds of skin in front or the elbows or behind the knees of on the face or outer aspects of the limbs in the under 4 year olds
Eczema starting before the age of 2 years