G eir Haukursson, NetDoktor Eczema is the general term used to describe various itchy skin diseases. It is not a very precise term and the disease that most people call 'eczema' is known medically as 'atopic dermatitis'. Dermatitis simply means inflammation of the skin.
Atopic dermatitis is a very common skin problem.
Atopic dermatitis is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. A child with atopic dermatitis is likely to have another atopic condition, such as asthma or hay fever , or at least be related to someone with one. Several genes have been linked to atopic dermatitis although the connection is not clear. It is likely that a complex combination of genes allows an environmental trigger to cause atopic dermatitis. Skin infections, such as the bacterium staphylococcus aureus.