A 40-year-old woman develops well-defined, coin-shaped, intensely pruritic vesicular plaques with oozing over the limbs and trunk. There is no personal or family history of atopy and patch testing is negative. The most likely diagnosis is:
- A Nummular eczema ✓
- B Tinea corporis
- C Allergic contact dermatitis
- D Psoriasis
Correct answer: A. Nummular eczema
Explanation
Nummular eczema presents as discrete, coin-shaped, pruritic, vesicular or crusted plaques on the limbs and trunk, typically without an atopic background and often after minor injury or dryness. Negative patch testing argues against contact dermatitis, and the presence of oozing vesicles with sharp coin morphology rather than silvery scale rules against psoriasis.
Reference: Andrews' Diseases of the Skin, 13th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.