A review of Chinese and foreign guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of hand eczema

Hand eczema is a group of dermatitis and eczematous disorders on the hands. Complex etiology, long disease duration and frequent recurrence are the main features of hand eczema, which cause the difficulties in its treatment. According to the etiology, hand eczema can be classified to 3 types: allergic contact dermatitis, irritant contact dermatitis and atopic hand eczema. According to the morphology, hand eczema can be classified into several types, such as hyperkeratotic hand eczema, vesicular hand eczema, pulpitis and nummular hand eczema. Hand eczema is mainly managed with prevention as well as protection and repair of skin barrier. Besides the above general management, topical glucocorticoid agents and calcineurin inhibitors can be used. Hand eczema is a common disease in dermatology, while at present, related researches are lacking in China. Thus, this review summarizes several foreign guidelines on hand eczema and related Chinese diagnosis and treatment standards, and clinical classification, diagnosis and treatment principles are discussed emphatically, so as to provide a reference for diagnosis and treatment of hand eczema in China. Key words: Eczema; Hand; Diagnosis; Therapy; Guidelines