Features to be considered in the diagnosis of patients with atopic dermatitis*
Essential features - Required:
Pruritus and eczema (acute, subacute, or chronic):
- Typical morphology and age-specific patterns**- Chronic or relapsing history
Important features - Observed in a majority of cases, adding support to the diagnosis:
Early age of onset
Atopy
- Personal and/or family history- IgE reactivity
Xerosis
Associated features - Help suggest the diagnosis but are nonspecific to be used for defining or detecting atopic dermatitis for research and epidemiologic studies:
Exclusionary conditions - It should be noted that a diagnosis of atopic dermatitis depends on excluding conditions, such as:
Scabies
Seborrheic dermatitis
Contact dermatitis (irritant or allergic)
Ichthyoses
Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
Psoriasis
Photosensitivity dermatoses
Immune deficiency diseases
Erythroderma of other causes
*American Academy of dermatology (AAD) Guidelines, standardized criteria based on revised Hanifin and Rajka diagnostic sch
** *Patterns include:
1. Facial, neck, and extensor involvement in infants and children
2. Current or previous flexural lesions in any age group
3. Sparing of the groin and axillary regions Continue ->