Definition and nomenclature Pompholyx eczema is a very distinctive form of eczema, characterised initially by an eruption of very itchy vesicles on the sides of the fingers and palms of the hands and occasionally the soles of the feet and toes.
The vesicles, which contain clear fluid, usually subside without rupturing, although in some cases they may become tense, burst and discharge. In either case, the vesicular stage, which usually lasts for one to two weeks is followed by a dry desquamating phase, by which time the itching is usually markedly reduced.
This condition has been recognised and described in medical texts in China since at least the Ming dynasty. In the True Lineage of External Medicine, Chen Shi-gong uses the name River snail vesicle, giving a fair description of the disorder: "River snail vesicle mostly erupts on the hands and feet, suddenly it is as if the area was on fire; purple, white and yellow vesicles will appear next; this is wind damp attacking and pouring into the Spleen channel." Less than a century later, Gu Shi-deng the author of Collection of Treatments for Sores uses the alternative and more commonly used name of Ant nest to define it: "Ant nest mostly erupts on the hands and feet, it's appearance is like the nest of an ant, just like the pricks of a needle, the itching is extreme and enters the Heart.
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