LISBON- The growing popularity of environmentally friendly reusable diapers made of cotton and bamboo is leading to increased cases of a spectrum of infant diaper dermatitis dubbed "irritant napkin papulonodules," according to Dr. Annabel Maruani.
"We believe and warn that the increasing use of reusable diapers, linked to the ecorevolution, is responsible for the reemergence of irritant napkin papulonodules. Recognizing these groups of patients is crucial in relation to management and counseling," she said at the annual congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology in Lisbon.
Dr. Maruani reported on five infants with papulonodular lesions in convex skin areas covered by reusable diapers. All cases resolved within 1 month after the reusable diapers were replaced by disposable ones, which appear to be considerably more absorbent, according to Dr. Maruani of the University of Tours (France).
One patient presented with typical Sevestre-Jacquet erosive diaper dermatitis. The other infants presented with flesh-colored umbilicated papules and/or nodules with little to no erythema. One of the children had lesions of granuloma gluteale, while the others had pseudo-verrucous papules.
Triggering factors were identified in three patients: one who had developed diarrhea, worsening the moisture problem, and two others with underfeeding, resulting in a lack of weight gain and diminished ability of the skin to deal with insults, she said.
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