Causes and Treatments Topics covered in this article:

Dermatitis, also referred to as eczema, is a term used to describe a broad variety of skin irritations that involve inflammation and red itchy rashes. The condition is not life-threatening and cannot be passed from one person to another through any sort of contact, though it can have a familial component.

Seen commonly in children, dermatitis is often outgrown by adulthood. However, it can also be persistent or recurrent, starting early in infancy and affecting an individual right into adulthood. Certain types are associated with infants, for example, "cradle cap," whereas others are particularly bothersome for the elderly, such as "winter itch."

Inflamed red itchy skin is the most general description of the symptoms accompanying dermatitis. However, blisters, scabbing, scaling, flaking or oozing of the skin may also be present. The type of rash an individual with this condition experiences depends on the particular kind of dermatitis from which he or she may be suffering.