Dermatitis Artefacta Workup

Updated: Aug 29, 2022
  • Author: John YM Koo, MD; Chief Editor: Dirk M Elston, MD  more...
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Workup

Approach Considerations

No specific laboratory blood tests are required to establish a diagnosis of dermatitis artefacta, nor are any diagnostic imaging studies indicated. In addition, no other general tests are required. The only test that is particularly useful in this setting is a s kin biopsy.

A skin biopsy of a representative dermatitis artefacta lesion may be performed to rule out any underlying pathology and, in some cases, to establish a definite diagnosis. The histologic findings in dermatitis artefacta are usually nonspecific and are often dependent on the mechanism of injury (eg, foreign body reaction with giant cells and noninfectious material for self-injection).