L20.9: Atopic dermatitis, unspecified

Your skin has been inflamed and very itchy for a long time.

This disorder involves the immune system overreacting to substances in the environment that are actually harmless. These may be animal hairs or foods, for example. The skin gets inflamed as a result. This makes the skin dry and susceptible to germs.

Initially, the skin is usually red and swollen. Blisters or weeping open wounds occur. Then yellowish crusts often form. If the skin is damaged for a long time, it gets thick and cracked. The skin may also be flaky. Because the skin is usually very itchy, you often scratch yourself.

This skin disorder is usually congenital, which means you were born with it. Several family members are usually affected. The skin disorder may be a lifelong condition. But it may also improve after childhood. The symptoms can vary in their severity. Stress, or contact with germs, for example, can make the condition worse. There may also sometimes be psychological effects.

Additional indicator

On medical documents, the ICD code is often appended by letters that indicate the diagnostic certainty or the affected side of the body.

  • G: Confirmed diagnosis
  • V: Tentative diagnosis
  • Z: Condition after
  • A: Excluded diagnosis
  • L: Left
  • R: Right
  • B: Both sides

Further information

Note

This information is not intended for self-diagnosis and does not replace professional medical advice from a doctor. If you find an ICD code on a personal medical document, please also note the additional indicator used for diagnostic confidence.
Your doctor will assist you with any health-related questions and explain the ICD diagnosis code to you in a direct consultation if necessary.

Source

Provided by the non-profit organization “Was hab’ ich?” gemeinnützige GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).