Eczema on the glans

Definition

The definition of the term eczema is not very simple, as it summarizes a multitude of dermatological clinical pictures. In some places eczema is also equated with “dermatitis”. It describes in general terms an inflammatory disease of the skin and is divided into many different forms.

In the following, this article deals with seborrheic, atopic and weeping eczema of the glans. There are, however, other forms of eczema that will not be discussed further here. The word “seborrhoeic” is derived from the Latin word “seborrhoic” and means “sebum flow”.

It describes an increased sebaceous gland, mainly on the face, but also on the male glans. Atopic eczema, however, describes a tendency of the body to react more allergic to certain substances after contact with them. A weeping eczema describes, quite literally, a weeping change in the skin. The symptoms, causes, and treatment of the above-mentioned clinical pictures are described in more detail below.

Seborrheic eczema

A seborrhoeic eczema is a highly scaly skin change, which usually occurs chronically recurrently. It mainly affects parts of the body where sebum (“sebum”) is produced, such as the scalp or face. Sebaceous glands are always located at the roots of hairs, so all areas of the body with a lot of hair are basically affected.

A seborrhoeic eczema on the glans penis – as the glans is called medically correct – is therefore relatively unlikely, since there are no hair roots here. However, it can spread from the penis shaft to the glans. A seborrhoeic eczema presents itself as greasy, yellowish scaling, the skin is usually reddened.

Seborrheic eczema also affects other parts of the body of more frequent men, and hair loss additionally promotes its occurrence. The cause is usually seen as an interaction of several endogenous and exogenous factors. Endogenous factors are a genetic predisposition, as well as a fundamental sebaceous gland overproduction.

Exogenous factors are stress, in interaction with colonization of the skin flora by certain yeast species. However, it has not been conclusively clarified what causes seborrheic eczema. Therapy for this chronically recurring skin disease depends on the current level of symptoms.

Since no definitive cure is possible, we try to keep the symptom-free intervals as long as possible. This is achieved with glucocorticoids and, if necessary, antimicrobial additives. A dreaded complication is the generalization of eczema and its spread to other parts of the body that are not normally primarily affected, such as the male glans.

It has also been shown that sunlight improves the symptoms. For self-medication we recommend visits to a solarium (in moderation) or sunbathing in general. A special form of seborrheic eczema is infantile eczema, i.e. eczema in early childhood. It already appears at birth, but usually heals on its own after a few months. Corticosteroids must only be used if the condition is severe.