We have assembled clinical guidance for atopic dermatitis including signs and symptoms, treatment, referral considerations and additional resources. You will find an interactive image tool, case scenarios, a diagnostic aid for educating and diagnosing patients, a treatment tool, and detailed management guidance.
Atopic Dermatitis Overview
Atopic dermatitis, also known as atopic eczema, is a chronic, relapsing-remitting, inflammatory skin condition characterized by pruritic lesions.
- Atopic dermatitis is the most common pediatric skin disorder, with 12-month prevalence rates averaging approximately 10% in resource-rich countries and ranging up to 20% globally.
- Approximately 60% of children with atopic dermatitis develop symptoms in the first year after birth, and 90% develop symptoms by 5 years of age.
- Symptoms of atopic dermatitis typically resolve by adulthood, but between 10% and 30% of children continue to exhibit symptoms of atopic dermatitis as adults.
- Up to 15% of children with atopic dermatitis have severe disease, according to an international study of 12-month prevalence rates.
Children who have atopic dermatitis are susceptible to certain bacterial and viral infections.
- The increased adherence of Staphylococcus aureus to the skin and reduced production of antimicrobial peptides may explain the high rates of colonization and infection with these bacteria.
- Altered T-cell function may explain the predisposition of children to develop molluscum contagiosum, eczema herpeticum, and eczema vaccinatum.
Clinical Resources
Below you will find clinical information and resources to help care for children with atopic dermatitis including risk factors, signs and symptoms and treatment options.
Professional Tools & Resources
The following tools and resources are designed to aid diagnosis, patient consultation, and patient education.
The development of this information was made possible through support from Sanofi and Regeneron.
Podcasts and Voices Blogs
Learn what others are saying. Listen to our podcasts and read our blog posts.
Dermatology Best Practices – Episode 61
In this episode Bernard A. Cohen, MD, FAAP, director of the Johns Hopkins University Pediatric Dermatology and Cutaneous Laser Center, offers best practices for treating patients with common skin conditions. Hosts David Hill, MD, FAAP, and Joanna Parga-Belinkie, MD, FAAP, also talk to Maureen Lyon, PhD, about her research on talking to teens with cancer about end-of-life care.
Pediatrics on Call
|May 18, 2021
Last Updated
06/11/2021
Source
American Academy of Pediatrics