Atopic dermatitis. A review of diagnosis, pathogenesis, and management.

Atopic dermatitis, one of the common dermatologic abnormalities encountered by pediatricians in clinical practice, is a chronic pruritic skin disorder occurring in individuals with a personal or family history of atopic disease such as asthma or allergic rhinitis. Atopic dermatitis appears to be an inherited disease, although the mode of inheritance has not been established. Clinically, its course can be divided into stages: infantile, childhood, and adult. Recognition of atopic dermatitis in any of these stages should facilitate appropriate treatment. This general overview examines several aspects of the disease, including current concepts of clinical manifestations, differential diagnosis, pathogenesis, and treatment.