Related articles: Seborrhea
Definition
Seborrhea is a dermatological disorder characterized by redness of the skin and dry or oily desquamation. These outbreaks occur mainly in areas that have a high density of sebaceous glands (face, upper part of the trunk, scalp and skin folds). In certain regions, the erythematous aspect appears more accentuated, sometimes resulting from phenomena of maceration and bacterial or fungal superinfection.
In general, seborrhea causes occasional itching of variable intensity and scaling of the scalp (dandruff). In the most serious cases, squamous yellow-red papules appear at the hairline, behind the ear, in the external auditory ducts, on the eyebrows, in the armpit, on the back of the nose, in the nasolabial furrows and above the sternum.
Seborrhea is a symptom that can occur at any age, especially in people with oily skin. In newborns it can present with thick, crusted and yellowish lesions of the scalp (milky crust) and chronic diaper rash.
Seborrhea is more frequent and more serious in patients with AIDS and in those suffering from neurological diseases, such as Parkinson's disease.
The causes underlying the onset of seborrhea are uncertain, but in the pathogenesis it appears that more factors are involved, such as physical or mental stress, genetic predisposition, hormones, climate (usually worse with cold) and the concentration of Pityrosporum ovale (microorganism normally present on the skin).
The detail of a seborrhea manifested on a man's scalp
Possible Causes * of Seborrhea
- Acromegaly
- AIDS
- Seborrheic dermatitis
- Parkinson's disease
- Psoriasis
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
