What is dühring dermatitis? You will get the answer to this question from the materials in this article. You will also learn how to treat such a disease, what are its symptoms and causes.
Basic information
Dühring's dermatitis is a pathology that belongs to the group of dermatoses and is classified as herpetiform. Such a group combines skin diseases that develop for various reasons, but have the same clinical picture.
Like other dermatoses, Dühring's dermatitis is characterized by the appearance of a specific rash. Such a pathology is not uncommon. Any person at any age can face her. This disease was named after the name of the Philadelphia doctor - Duhring. As you know, he studied it back in the late 19th century.
Development reasons
Why does Dühring's dermatitis occur? The true reason for the development of such an ailment has not yet been established. However, experts put forward several theories that justify the occurrence of this unpredictable skin disease.
Scientists have 3 provoking factors:
- a decrease in human immunity, which ultimately entails a weak and unstable resistance of the body to infection;
- genetic predisposition;
- digestive system problems, or rather a violation of the process of absorption of nutrients in the intestine.
Dühring's herpetiform dermatitis , the treatment of which will be described later, refers to skin autoimmune diseases. Therefore, in the process of therapy, most doctors develop schemes that correspond to the algorithm for the treatment of autoimmune disorders.
It should be noted that in some patients during the examination revealed intolerance to gluten, in excess contained in cereals. 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 a dermatosis can provoke inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract, viral pathologies, increased iodine sensitivity and ascariasis.
Dermatitis Dühring: symptoms
Like any skin disease, the disease in question is quite easily recognized by external signs. Usually it 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:
- Skin rashes that look like bubbles with fluid inside. During the development of the disease, such blisters are opened, and crusts form in their place. When combing, the bubbles burst much faster. At the same time, their contents can get on healthy 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 rashes.
- With Dühring's dermatitis, itching first appears, and then the first blisters are observed.
- Problems with the intestinal tract in a patient are expressed by stool fat, which subsequently acquires a gray color.
Other signs of skin disease
Externally, the disease under consideration 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 in the development of this disease are small. In this case, they are called vesicles. If they are large (with a diameter of 2 cm), then doctors call them bullous rashes.
According to experts, if the fluid contained in the blisters becomes cloudy over time, then the infection has joined the pathological process.
It should also be noted that combing the already formed crusts very soon leads to the formation of an erosive area, which takes the place of the former bubble.
Diagnostics
How to identify the disease in question? What diagnostic protocols are there? Dühring'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 gallbladder fluid (with a disease they are significantly increased).
- A study of the thyroid gland (in almost 30% of all cases, various disorders are detected).
- Direct immunofluorescence, detecting the accumulation of fixed immunoglobulins A.
- Test with iodine. This diagnostic procedure is as follows: on the forearm an ointment containing 50% potassium iodide is applied , which is left for a day. With a positive test, rashes and redness appear in this place.
Treatment of dermatitis Dühring
Before starting therapy, patients with Dühring's dermatitis are carefully examined for gastrointestinal diseases and malignant neoplasms. They are also prescribed Dapsone. Its dosage is 100 mg twice a day for 5 days with a 2-day break (3-5 cycles).
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 the drug "Dapson" is incompatible with barbiturates and "Amidopyrine."
In addition to the drug mentioned, for the treatment of dermatosis, drugs such as lipoic acid, dimeracoptopropanesulfonate sodium, antihistamines, ethebenecid, methionine, vitamins (rutoside, ascorbic acid, B vitamins) are also used.
Patient nutrition for disease
How else is Dühring's dermatitis treated ? Diet with 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 not allowed to consume products containing iodine (for example, sea fish).
The 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.
In the process of treating 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 with skin diseases, strict adherence to a diet contributes to a significant improvement in the condition. However, this does not reduce the need for Dapsone.