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Atopic dermatitis
What's new
Updated 2024 HOME-CP guidelines on the use of severity assessment tools in atopic dermatitis .
Background
Overview
Definition
Atopic dermatitis, also known as atopic eczema, is a chronic relapsing inflammatory skin condition characterized by intense itching.
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Pathophysiology
Atopic dermatitis is caused by a complex interaction between defects in skin barrier function (caused by mutations in filaggrin gene), immune dysregulation, and environmental and infectious agents (S. aureus).
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Disease course
Skin barrier dysfunction and immune dysfunction results in atopic dermatitis, which causes clinical phases of acute atopic dermatitis (vesicular, weeping, crusting eruption), subacute atopic dermatitis (dry, scaly, erythematous papules and plaques), and chronic atopic dermatitis (lichenification, thickening, from repeated scratching). Atopic dermatitis precedes the development of food allergies, asthma, and allergic rhinitis. The disease decreases productivity and QoL.
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Prognosis and risk of recurrence
Atopic dermatitis is not associated with an increase in mortality.
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Guidelines
Key sources
The following summarized guidelines for the evaluation and management of atopic dermatitis are prepared by our editorial team based on guidelines from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI/ACAAI 2024), the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD 2024,2023,2014), the Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME 2024), the European Dermatology Forum (EDF 2022), the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical ...
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