Diaper dermatitis: clinical characteristics and differential diagnosis.

A diverse group of diseases can cause skin conditions in the diaper area including those which are directly caused by diapers or the diaper environment, some which are not directly due to, but are worsened by, the wearing of diapers, and those which are independent of the presence of the diaper or its resulting environment. Many of these conditions are limited to this area of the skin, but others extend to skin outside this area, and some are signs of systemic disease. We review many of the important causes of eruptions in the diaper area and emphasize key points in the differential diagnosis.