There are four types of eczema which it is well to differentiate and of which a brief description may be given. The first is erythematous eczema, in which redness and slight scaling are the chief features. It is usually a dry and mild form of the disease, and was formerly described as a distinct affection under the name of pityriasis. It is frequently seen upon the face and hands of children, and appears like a roughened or chapped con-
.jpg)
Fig. 22.—Eczema squamosum.
dition of the skin. About the genitals and wherever folds of skin are in apposition it is apt to follow the affection known as erythema intertrigo, and in many cases, indeed, it is difficult to distinguish between the two, as one gradually develops from the other. In erythema we have simply congestion of the skin, while in eczema erythematosum there is a slight thickening from serous infiltration of the cutaneous tissues and a tendency
