Atopic Dermatitis in Children
Pediatric atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory and genetically determined increased skin reactivity characterized by intense itching and skin dryness.
It may be associated with atopic asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, urticaria and gastrointestinal disorders. It may occur at any age but it is more common in infants and children.
Clinical picture
In infants, atopic dermatitis appears from the second month up until the first year of life.
It is detected first on the face, then in the extremities, the trunk and the interior surface of the joints.
Childhood skin lesions are symmetrical and occur mainly on the face, behind the knees, on the inner side of the elbow and on the dorsal surface of the feet and hands. The most frequent finding is the dryness that can be accompanied by redness, infiltration of the skin, often because due to severe itching that lead patients to severe corrosions.
What are the most common allergens in atopic dermatitis?
There are inhaled allergens eg. dust and animal dander, food allergens eg. orange, wheat, oats, shrimp, cheese, egg and chocolate, vegetable allergens eg. plane and nettle, synthetic allergens eg. wool and various types of fungi.
Are there characteristic clinical signs of children with atopic dermatitis?
There are characteristic clinical signs with atopy. Some of them are the dry skin, the keratosis pilaris, the double fold under the eyelids, the thinning of hair at the edge of the eyebrow, etc.
Your dermatologist will evaluate the clinical picture and then take into account the specific criteria, both primary and secondary, before starting the diagnosis of atopic dermatitis.
What is the treatment of atopic dermatitis?
A prerequisite for effective treatment is to avoid the allergen triggers and meticulous skin hydration with special products that will be prescribed by your dermatologist.
Local therapy includes topical steroids and tacrolimus and in severe cases, antihistamines and corticosteroids are administrated systemically.
It is necessary to closely monitor the progress of the health of the child and the parents to follow the instructions of the dermatologist because the lesions may quickly get enormous dimensions. Also close monitoring of the child by an experienced dermatologist will reduce relapses and prevent all the consequences.
