Diagnosis | Neurodermatitis in the intimate area

Diagnosis

A thorough anamnesis should be performed first. The presence of allergies, asthma or childhood skin rashes may indicate atopic dermatitis. If neurodermatitis is known in a family member, this also makes the diagnosis more likely.

The doctor should then examine the skin symptoms and identify trigger factors. If the intimate area is irritated by clothing, for example, or if the person concerned describes excessive intimate hygiene, neurodermatitis could be present. The diagnosis is more likely if the skin symptoms also occur in other parts of the body, since the genital area is not a typical localization of the neurodermatitis manifestation.

Typical body regions in adulthood include the flexed sides of the extremities, as well as the neck and décolleté. In children and adolescents, other areas, such as the face, are more frequently affected. In addition to the skin rash, there are other typical external signs that are often present in neurodermatitis. These include, for example, a double fold on the lower eyelid and thinning of the lateral eyebrows. Since neurodermatitis often occurs together with allergies, an allergy test can also be helpful for the diagnosis.

Therapy

First of all, general measures should be taken. This includes in particular the avoidance of trigger factors. In the case of neurodermatitis in the genital area, this should be cared for as far as possible and kept dry; for example, sweat should be removed immediately after exercise.However, care must be taken not to overly intensive care and aggressive products must not be used.

This additionally destroys the skin barrier, which is already damaged by neurodermatitis. Clothing that does not irritate the skin should also be worn. Further therapy depends on the severity and appearance of the skin disease.

If the skin in the genital area is particularly dry and itches more severely, soothing lotions can be applied in moderation to counteract the loss of fluid. If there are already open skin areas, these should be treated with local antiseptics to prevent infection. Since this disease is triggered by an immune response, cortisone cream can also be used.

However, one should always try to keep the dose as low as possible. If itching and dry skin are the only symptoms of neurodermatitis in the intimate area, the application of products containing cortisone should be avoided. If mild eczema occurs, a low-dose cortisone cream can be applied to these areas.

For more severe eczema, the dose of cortisone can be increased. Only if the symptoms persist even after local therapy and the skin symptoms are very pronounced, a systemic immunomodulating therapy, e.g. the oral intake of glucocorticoids, can be initiated. Care should generally be taken to use glucocorticoids sparingly. In addition to the systemic side effects, local, regular application may lead to thinning of the skin. Cortisone cream should be applied sparingly, especially to sensitive skin areas, e.g. in the genital area.