What Is Spongiform Oedema?
Spongiform oedema (SOD) is a common skin condition characterized by a white or yellowish crusting of the dermis due to excess fluid loss from the body. SOD occurs when there are too many blood vessels supplying the epidermis with nutrients, which leads to edema. Edema causes the skin to become thickened and hardens into a scaly appearance. It may also cause redness, swelling, tenderness, warmth and pain.
The most common causes of SOD include dehydration (due to excessive sweating), infection (such as acne or herpes simplex virus type 1 [HSV1]) and trauma (e.g., being struck by a car).
Other possible causes include pregnancy, chemotherapy treatments such as isotretinoin or other drugs used for the treatment of cancer.
How Does Spongiform Oedema Occur?
When the body loses water through sweat, it must replace the lost fluids through the skin. When excess fluid accumulates in one area of the body, it becomes swollen and painful. The extra fluid may accumulate around a joint or under a fingernail because these areas have high blood flow to them. This is called edematous hyperhidrosis (EH). EDH is often associated with diabetes mellitus and hypertension.
What Are The Common Spongiform Oedema Causes?
Spongiform Oedema, also called S.O, is a rare skin disorder that is caused by under-tiredness and stress. It mostly effects people who work too much and don’t sleep enough. Spongiform Oedema can be identified by its main symptoms such as:
itching on the palm of the hands.
dimples on the palm of the hands.
Your hands having a spongy feel to them.
Spongiform Oedema is not contagious and can be treated by taking days off work or sleeping more.
Spongiform oedema is a skin reaction showing up as thickened skin, usually on the palms of hands and soles of feet. It occurs in people who are overworked, do not sleep enough or have a poor diet.
Spongiform Oedema is not life-threatening and does not lead to any other complications.
Spongiform Oedema is caused by an extra amount of fluid in the spaces between the cells in the skin’s upper layer. This builds up over time and eventually leads to thickening of the skin.
Spongiform oedema tends to occur more often in people such as manual labourers, sports people, doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. It can also affect people living in hot climates or those who are elderly and have poor blood circulation.
What Are The Spongiform Oedema Symptoms?
Spongiform oedema is a skin condition affecting the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet and sometimes other parts of the body, such as the groin. These areas become swollen, puffy and spongy to touch. In some cases, small blood vessels may also become visible through the skin.
What Are The Spongiform Oedema Causes?
Spongiform oedema is caused by an overproduction of fluid in the membrane layer just below the epidermis (the outer layer of the skin). This extra fluid causes the skin to swell and become spongy to touch. It may also become thickened and uneven in texture, with small blood vessels sometimes visible.
Spongiform oedema is not associated with any other health conditions and is not life-threatening or dangerous. It is a common condition brought on by working long hours or not getting enough sleep.
It can also be brought on by stress or too much physical exertion, such as long periods of exercise or carrying heavy loads.
Spongiform oedema seems to be more common in people who are living or working in hot climates. It can be brought on by certain medications, such as some treatments for heart conditions and high blood pressure.
It can also be caused by diseases that affect the body’s ability to regulate temperature, such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
How Is Spongiform Oedema Diagnosed?
Spongiform oedema is usually diagnosed by the physical signs and symptoms it presents. A doctor or dermatologist will usually carry out a physical examination, touching the skin of the affected area to see whether it is thickened or irregular.
Sometimes, a skin biopsy may be carried out to rule out other conditions that produce similar symptoms, such as scleroderma.
How Is Spongiform Oedema Treated?
Spongiform oedema is not usually treated with medication. If a specific cause can be identified, such as working long hours or a recent illness, steps can be taken to avoid bringing it on again in the future. If spongiform oedema is triggered by certain medical conditions, treating these may help reduce or prevent its occurrence.
In many cases, spongiform oedema will disappear of its own accord after a few days or weeks. The skin will return to its normal appearance and feel, although it may remain slightly sensitive or take on a yellowish tinge.
Sources & references used in this article:
A vase-like shape characterizes the epidermal-mononuclear cell collections seen in spongiotic dermatitis. by PE LeBoit, BA Epstein – The American journal of dermatopathology, 1990 – europepmc.org
Lichen planus‐like atopic dermatitis: expanding the differential diagnosis of spongiotic dermatitis by BT Summey, SE Bowen… – Journal of cutaneous …, 2008 – Wiley Online Library
Hyperkeratotic dermatitis of the palms by K Hersle, H Mobacken – British Journal of Dermatology, 1982 – Wiley Online Library
Treatment of hyperkeratotic dermatitis of the palms (eczema keratoticum) with oral acitretin. A single-blind placebo-controlled study. by K Thestrup-Pedersen, KE Andersen… – Acta dermato …, 2001 – researchgate.net
Acquired Blaschko dermatitis: acquired relapsing self‐healing Blaschko dermatitis by HJ Lee, WH Kang, SK Hann – The Journal of Dermatology, 1996 – Wiley Online Library
Clinical diagnosis and treatment of epidermal chytridiomycosis in African clawed frogs (Xenopus tropicalis) by JM Parker, I Mikaelian, N Hahn… – … medicine, 2002 – ingentaconnect.com
