The following symptoms and complaints may indicate facial eczema:
Symptoms
- Facial eczema defined by the stages of acute or chronic eczema:
- Erythema (planar redness) [acute eczema reaction].
- With/without primary efflorescences.
- Vesicles (vesicles)
- Papules (nodules), pustules (pustules).
- With/without secondary florescences.
Localization
- Concerning the complete face vs. predominantly perioral (around the mouth).
- Restricted to the face vs. skin changes in other body regions.
Associated symptoms
Caveat.
- A photoallergic or phototoxic reaction due to drugs (see below photosensitizing drugs) can easily be confused with dermatitis solaris (sunburn).
- Possible complications of facial eczema may result from eye involvement (e.g., herpes infections, rosacea/inflammatory skin disease).
Warning signs (red flags)
- Anamnestic information:
- Age > 40 years → think of:
- Rosacea (initially erythema (skin redness), later telangiectasias (vascular dilatation; couperosis) and papules or pustules).
- seborrheic eczema (greasy scaling, yellow foci; on a reddened base); these occur preferentially in the following areas:
- Eyebrows
- Hairline
- Between lip and nose
- Welding channel
- Age > 40 years → think of:
- Acute onset of unilateral facial eczema + facial edema → think of: Herpes zoster (shingles)
- In acne excoriata (acne with scratching consequences) → think of: accompanying mental illness.