The 'dry' non-eczematous skin associated with atopic eczema.

The non-eczematous but 'dry' skin of twelve patients with eczema has been studied and contrasted with skin from similar sites in control subjects of similar age and sex and with patients with autosomal dominant ichthyosis. The areas investigated were examined histologically and by techniques for assessment of the stratum corneum structure and function. The 'dry' skin sites demonstrated increased intracorneal cohesion, increased total epidermal thickness, patchy parakeratosis and in places slight hypergranulosis. It is concluded that the dry skin condition of patients with atopic eczema is not autosomal dominant ichthyosis and is probably eczematous in nature.