Seborrheic Dermatitis Disease Summary

Last updated: 30 March 2026

Overview

Seborrheic dermatitis (SD) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory skin disorder mostly confined to areas where sebaceous glands are prominent, as stated in the Introduction section.

Seborrheic dermatitis has a global estimated prevalence of 4-5%, with biphasic incidence occurring in  infants between the ages of 2 weeks and 12 months, and during adolescence and adulthood. A detailed discussion about the prevalence of seborrheic dermatitis is in the Epidemiology section.

The Pathophysiology section states that seborrheic dermatitis is usually caused by inflammatory responses (eg T cell depression, complement pathway activation) to Malassezia sp proliferation in the stratum corneum. The development process of seborrheic dermatitis in affected patients is in this section.

Discussion of factors that contribute to the development of seborrheic dermatitis is in the Risk Factors section.



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History and Physical Examination

The Clinical Presentation section describes the clinical features of seborrheic dermatitis depending on the age group.

The History section and the Physical Examination section explain the need for further inquiry and thorough examination of patients with seborrheic dermatitis.

The Screening section discusses the use of SEborrheic Dermatitis Area and Severity Index (SEDASI) to assess the severity of facial seborrheic dermatitis.

Diagnosis

Discussions on Wood’s light, cultures, and skin biopsies in patients with seborrheic dermatitis are in the Laboratory Tests and Ancillaries section. 

Other conditions that should be ruled out in the diagnosis of seborrheic dermatitis are listed in the Differential Diagnosis section.

Management

The goals of pharmacological therapy for seborrheic dermatitis are enumerated in the Principles of Therapy section.

The Pharmacological Therapy section discusses in detail therapeutic options in patients with seborrheic dermatitis, such as antibiotics, antifungals, corticosteroids, or emollients.

The Nonpharmacological section includes things to educate the patient or caregiver about the management of seborrheic dermatitis and other therapeutic advice or options.