Chronic Hand Eczema, Real World, and Patient Centricity: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Chronic hand eczema is a multifactorial, fluctuating, inflammatory skin disease of the hands and wrists, defined as hand eczema that persists for at least 3 months or recurs at least twice within 1 year. Chronic hand eczema is heterogeneous in nature with different clinical manifestations. This chronic condition can significantly impact daily activities and health-related quality of life for patients, including notable physical, psychosocial, occupational, and socioeconomic burdens. However, awareness of the disease and the patient experience remains poor. This review aims to improve understanding of chronic hand eczema in the context of its underlying pathogenesis, clinical subtypes and presentation, and risk factors. Additionally, an overview of the patient experience of the disease, including health-related quality of life and socioeconomic implications, is provided. Improved understanding of chronic hand eczema will support optimal patient care by empowering healthcare providers to more quickly and correctly diagnose this disease with high unmet treatment needs and subsequently offer appropriate holistic care.