Background@#
Hand eczema refers to
eczema located on the
hands, regardless of its
etiology or morphology. Despite its high
prevalence and significant impact on
patients’
quality of life,
treatment is frequently challenging because of its heterogeneity, chronic and recurrent
course, and lack of well-organized randomized controlled trials of the various
treatment options. @*Objective@#These
consensus guidelines aim to provide evidence-based recommendations on the
diagnosis and management of
hand eczema to improve
patient care by helping
physicians make more efficient and transparent decisions. @*
Methods@#A modified
Delphi method, comprising two rounds of
email questionnaires with
face-to-
face meetings in between, was adopted for the
consensus process that took place between February and September 2020. Forty experts in the field of
skin allergy and
contact dermatitis were invited to participate in the expert panel. @*Results@#
Consensus was reached for the domains of
classification, diagnostic evaluation, and
treatment; and a
therapeutic ladder to manage chronic
hand eczema was developed. @*Conclusion@#These are the first
consensus guidelines for chronic
hand eczema in the
Asian population, which
will help standardize care and assist
clinical decision-making in the
diagnosis and
treatment of chronic
hand eczema.