What is Duhring's dermatitis? You will receive the answer to this question from the materials of the article in question. You will also learn how to treat such a disease, what are its symptoms and causes.
Basic information
Dühring's dermatitis is a pathology belonging to the group of dermatoses and classified as herpetiform. This group includes skin diseases that develop for different reasons, but have the same clinical picture.
Like other dermatoses, Duhring's dermatitis is characterized by the appearance of a specific rash. This pathology is not uncommon. Anyone can experience it at any age. This disease was named after the name of the Philadelphia doctor - Duhring. As you know, he studied it at the end of the 19th century.
Reason for development
Why does Dühring's dermatitis occur? The true cause of the development of such an ailment has not yet been established. However, experts have put forward several theories that justify the occurrence of this unpredictable skin disease.
Scientiststhere are 3 provoking factors:
- decrease in human immunity, which ultimately leads to a weak and unstable resistance of the body to infection;
- genetic predisposition;
- problems of the digestive system, or rather a violation of the absorption of nutrients in the intestines.
Dühring's dermatitis herpetiformis, the treatment of which will be described below, refers to skin autoimmune diseases. Therefore, in the process of therapy, most doctors develop regimens that correspond to the algorithm for the treatment of autoimmune disorders.
It should also be noted that in some patients, during the examination, intolerance to gluten, contained in excess in cereals, is revealed. The autoimmune origin of this disease is also indicated by the fact that IgA antibodies are very often found between the epidermis and dermis.
It should also be said that the development of such dermatosis can provoke inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract, viral pathologies, increased iodine sensitivity and ascariasis.
Dühring's dermatitis: symptoms
Like any skin disease, the disease in question is quite easily recognized by external signs. It usually affects the stronger sex at the age of 22-38 years. As for women, such dermatosis does not affect them very often.
The main symptoms of this disease are the following deviations:
- Eruptions on the skin that take the form of blisters with liquid inside. Duringdevelopment of the disease, such blisters open, and crusts form in their place. When combing, the bubbles burst much faster. At the same time, their contents can get on he althy skin and infect it, which will provoke the formation of new rashes.
- Itching, soreness and burning at the site of the rash. This condition forces a person to scratch the problem area, which entails a significant increase in the surface of the rash.
- When Dühring's dermatitis first appears itching, and then the first blisters are observed.
- Problems with the intestinal tract in a patient are expressed by the fat content of feces, which subsequently acquires a gray color.
Other signs of skin disease
Externally considered disease is manifested only by a deterioration in the general well-being of the patient, his emotional nervousness or lethargy, as well as changes in body temperature.
Bubble elements that have arisen during the development of this disease are small. In this case, they are called vesicles. If they are large (with a diameter of 2 cm or more), then doctors call them bullous rashes.
According to experts, if the fluid contained in the blisters becomes cloudy over time, it means that an infection has joined the pathological process.
It should also be noted that scratching already formed crusts very soon leads to the formation of an erosive area that takes the place of the former bubble.
Diagnosis
How to identify the disease in question? What are the diagnosticprotocols? Duhring's dermatitis is determined quite easily. For this, laboratory and instrumental methods are used. These include the following:
- Determination of the number of eosinophils in the blood, as well as in the cystic fluid (they are significantly increased in case of illness).
- Study of the thyroid gland (in almost 30% of all cases, various disorders are detected).
- Direct immunofluorescence detecting accumulation of fixed immunoglobulins A.
- Test with iodine. Such a diagnostic procedure is carried out as follows: an ointment containing 50% potassium iodide is applied to the forearm, which is left for a day. With a positive test, rashes and redness appear in this place.
Treatment of Dühring's dermatitis
Before starting therapy, patients with Dühring's dermatitis are carefully examined for gastrointestinal diseases and malignant neoplasms. They are also prescribed the drug "Dapson". Its dosage is 100 mg twice a day for 5 days with a 2-day break (3-5 cycles each).
After the disappearance of the signs of the disease, this medication is prescribed in a maintenance dose, that is, 5 mg every other day or 2 times a week. Side effects of the drug in question include nausea, vomiting, anemia, psychosis, liver damage and allergic reactions. It should also be noted that Dapsone is incompatible with barbiturates and Amidopyrine.
Besides the mentioned drug, for the treatment of dermatosisalso used are agents such as lipoic acid, sodium dimeracoptopropanesulfonate, antihistamines, etebenecid, methionine, vitamins (rutoside, ascorbic acid, B vitamins).
Nutrition for a sick patient
How else is Dühring's dermatitis treated? A diet for such a disease is required. Sick people are shown a diet with the exception of oats, wheat, millet and barley, as well as other cereals. In addition, patients with Dühring's dermatitis are prohibited from eating foods containing iodine (for example, sea fish).
Prognosis and course of the disease
The course of the disease in question is cyclical and long. As a rule, it is accompanied by incomplete and short remissions. Although some patients still observe complete and independent remissions.
During the treatment of Dühring's dermatitis, the patient may develop new rashes. However, this condition is not an indication for a change (including an increase) in the daily dosage of the drug.
In most patients suffering from skin diseases, strict adherence to the diet leads to a significant improvement in the condition. However, this does not reduce the need for Dapsone.
