Unmet needs for patients with seborrheic dermatitis

Seborrheic dermatitis (SD) is a common skin disease with signs and symptoms that may vary by skin color, associated medical conditions, environmental factors, and vehicle preference. Diagnosis of SD is based on presence of flaky, "greasy" patches, and/or thin plaques accompanied by erythema of the scalp, face, ears, chest, and groin and is associated with pruritus in many patients. The presentation may vary in different skin types and hyper- or hypopigmentation may occur, with or without erythema and minimal or no scaling. While the pathogenesis is not certain, 3 key factors generally agreed upon include lipid secretion by sebaceous glands, Malassezia spp. colonization, and some form of immunologic dysregulation that predisposes the patient to SD. Treatment involves reducing proliferation of, and inflammatory response to, Malassezia spp. Topical therapies, including antifungal agents and low potency corticosteroids, are the mainstay of treatment but may be limited by efficacy and side effects. Few novel treatments for SD are currently being studied; however, clinical trials assessing the use of topical phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors have been completed. Improving outcomes in SD requires recognizing patient-specific manifestations/locations of the disease, including increased awareness of how it affects people of all skin types.