Test Your Knowledge

Atopic dermatitis is the most common form of eczema, and the terms are often used interchangeably. It is a skin disorder that primarily afflicts infants and children. For those who have the condition, the skin usually becomes extremely itchy. Excessive scratching then leads to redness, swelling and cracking of the skin. In some cases, the rash leaks fluid before crusting and becoming scaly. Bacterial infection brought on by incessant scratching is a common consequence of atopic dermatitis. Skin infection, particularly with Staphylococcus, is also a common trigger for exacerbations of atopic dermatitis.

The term “atopy” is used to describe people with a tendency for inflammation in the skin, as well as in the linings of the nose and lungs. Atopy often occurs in people with a family history of other allergic conditions, including asthma and allergic rhinitis.

There are two main forms of atopic dermatitis:

• Chronic, with symptoms lasting for long periods of time
  
  
• Episodic, with symptoms more likely to come and go in periodic flare-ups

The exact nature of the relationship between atopic dermatitis and allergies is unclear. However, it appears that those who are susceptible to atopic dermatitis have inherited a tendency to produce excessive antibodies such as immunoglobulin E (IgE). Some studies have found that those with atopic dermatitis have a low level of a cytokine (a type of protein) which is essential to the healthy functioning of the body’s immune system. In addition, these individuals tend to have high levels of other cytokines that trigger allergic reactions.

Atopic dermatitis usually begins shortly before children are 6 months of age (where it is often related to food allergies), and almost always before they are 5 years old. An estimated 20 percent of infants and young children develop atopic dermatitis, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. In early childhood, more boys develop atopic dermatitis than girls. As children get older, this reverses.

For some children, atopic dermatitis improves or disappears as they get older. For other patients, the skin may stay dry and sensitive into adulthood. About 60 percent of people who develop atopic dermatitis as children continue to have one or more symptoms of the disease into adulthood.