Who Is At Risk For Neurodermatitis & Is There A Blood Test For It?

Neurodermatitis is also known as lichen simplex chronicus. It is also referred to as chronic neurodermatitis. It usual symptoms are presence of dry and patchy areas over certain parts of skin. These areas look scaly and thickened. It may be seen as a result of eczema or psoriasis. The most common for this type of dermatitis is mental stress. It is not a life-threatening disease. Sometimes excessive itching can lead to infections at that area. The incidence rate of lichen simplex chronicus is around 12% in whole population. The exact reason that leads to causation of this skin ailment is not yet known. ⁽¹⁾

Who Is At Risk For Neurodermatitis?

There are certain risk factors that may lead to neurodermatitis as given below:

Age: This skin disease is mostly seen in the people who fall in the age group of 30 to 50 years.

Gender: Neurodermatitis is mostly seen in women than in men.

Presence Of Other Skin Disorders: People who have family history or personal history of skin diseases like eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis or other similar skin diseases are more prone to develop neurodermatitis.

Presence Of Anxiety Disorders: Psychological stress and anxiety are found to act as trigger factors for causing neurodermatitis. The itching tends to increase when there is emotional stress or anxiety.

Is There A Blood Test For Neurodermatitis?

Blood Tests: Certain blood tests can be done by the doctor to rule out the possible cause of atopic diathesis. For this, the blood test done is to check the level of serum immunoglobulin E; this will be raised in case of atopic diathesis.

Physical Examination: The doctor will examine the skin lesions carefully to make a confirmed diagnosis.

Proper Medical History: The doctor will ask you about how it all started, about all the symptoms that you are having and also about history of any other skin ailments that you have or you had in the past.

Dermoscopy: Dermoscopy is a process in which the doctor will carefully examine your skin lesions with the help of a special skin surface miscroscope.

Patch Testing: This is a test in which the doctor uses certain allergens to rule out the allergic reactions that might be caused due to contact dermatitis.

If The Skin Lesion Is In The Genital Area: In this case, the doctor will try to rule out the possibility of candidiasis or tinea cruris over the genital area. This is done with the help of potassium hydroxide and by taking skin sample and sending it for fungal culture growth. ^{(1), (2)}

Other Types Of Dermatitis

Stasis Dermatitis: Stasis dermatitis results due to building up of fluid in lower legs due to diseases like varicose veins. Due to excess fluid and swelling under the skin, there is inadequate supply of oxygen and blood to the skin.

Allergic Contact Dermatitis: This type of dermatitis results when there is direct contact of skin with the allergens. The skin lesions are only visible at parts of body that are exposed to allergic substances. Few common allergens are cosmetics, jewelry, perfumes, etc.

Atopic Dermatitis: The cause for atopic dermatitis is not known but it is found most commonly in people who have history of allergic rhinitis or asthma. Atopic dermatitis is seen in areas like behind the knees, in front of the neck, etc.

Seborrheic Dermatitis: This type of dermatitis is seen mostly over those areas of body that are oily for example the scalp, chest and face. When it is seen in infants, it is called as cradle cap.

Perioral Dermatitis: In perioral dermatitis, you can see small reddish bumps that are filled with pus and are present near or around the mouth. The skin present around eyes, cheeks and nose can also be affected. The specific reason for its causation is not known however it has been associated with over usage of corticosteroids creams or nasal sprays. ⁽³⁾

Conclusion

The risk factors that play a role in causing neurodermatitis are gender, age, history of similar skin ailments and presence of certain stress factors in life. There is no specific blood test that can diagnose neurodermatitis. However, your doctor may test the levels of immunoglobulin E in the blood; this is done to rule out the possibility of atopic diathesis.

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Who Is At Risk For Neurodermatitis & Is There A Blood Test For It?