Eczema (discoid) 

Discoid eczema, also known as nummular eczema, is a chronic (long-term) skin condition that causes the skin to become itchy, reddened, dry and cracked. It can affect any part of the body, but is usually seen on the:

• lower legs
• forearms
• trunk

People with discoid eczema have circular or oval patches of eczema with well-defined edges. "Discoid" means disc-shaped and "nummular" means coin-shaped. Areas of discoid eczema can be a few millimetres to a few centimetres in size.

Other types of eczema include:

• atopic eczema (also called atopic dermatitis) – this often runs in families and is linked to other conditions, such as asthma and hay fever
• contact dermatitis – a type of eczema that occurs when the body comes into contact with a particular substance
• varicose eczema – a type of eczema that occurs on the legs, usually around varicose veins (swollen and enlarged veins)

How common is discoid eczema?

It is estimated that discoid eczema affects two people in every 1,000 in the UK, which makes it one of the rarer types of eczema.

Discoid eczema tends to develop in adults and is rare in children. It is more common among men aged from 50 to 70 and women in their teens or twenties. When discoid eczema occurs in young women, they often have atopic eczema as well.

Outlook

If discoid eczema is not treated it can last for months or even years. Even after treatment the condition can return, often with patches in the same places as before.

However, there are a number of different treatments available, such as emollients (moisturisers – treatments applied to the skin to reduce the loss of water from the skin) and topical corticosteroids. If you have discoid eczema, use emollients as often as possible to keep your skin moisturised. Corticosteroids can be applied to the patches when they flare up.

There are also some self-help measures you can follow, and additional medication if your eczema is infected or particularly severe. With the correct treatment, you can keep discoid eczema under good control. See Discoid eczema – Treatment for more information.