Management of hand eczema. ICD-10-number: L20., L23., L24., L25., L30 [Management von handekzemen. ICD-10-ziffer: L20., L23., L24., L25., L30]

Abstract

Hand eczema (HE) is one of the most frequent skin diseases. Eczema of the hands is not a homogenous disease entity, but instead occurs in various forms, and comprehensive differential diagnosis is often necessary. The disease can range in severity from very mild to chronic severe disease that can even prevent the patient from working for extended periods of time and may be refractory to treatment. Chronic hand eczema is very costly and involves significant impairment of the quality of life of the patient. Several therapy options are available, but the treatment of chronic hand eczema is often difficult and unsatisfactory. Therapy is complex and requires multimodal management. Large, high-quality, randomized controlled clinical studies on the effectiveness of even established therapy options are lacking. The following guideline provides a starting point for evidence-based approach to hand eczema, presenting the classification, diagnosis, prevention, therapy, and rehabilitation of this disease. © 2009 Dustri-Verlag Dr. Karl Feistle.