[Infantile seborrheic dermatitis and related syndromes. Diagnostic and pathogenetic problems]

Infantile seborrhoeic dermatitis is a dermatosis affecting infants characterized by little or no itching and by completely typical skin symptoms, distribution and evolution. Infantile seborrhoeic dermatitis should therefore be differentiated from atopic dermatitis and from diaper-rash although interferences be possible. In fact the high frequency of the atopic dermatitis and of diaper rash may cause these two manifestations to sometimes superimpose on infantile seborrhoeic dermatitis. This in turn causes rather complex clinical situations that may be very hard, but not impossible to diagnose if use is made of laboratory findings to support clinical features. The pathogenesis and etiology of infantile seborrhoeic dermatitis are still debated although recent results assign the dominant role to Candida albicans. This mycete also plays a relevant role in the genesis of diaper rash and particularly of Leiner's exfoliative erythrodermas, which can be interpreted as a generalized and erythrodermic expression of infantile seborrhoeic dermatitis. Systematic cultural investigations and appropriate antimycotic treatments, that would stimulate antibody response, will allow to clarify in the near future this interesting etiological problem, with important therapeutical consequences.