Atopic Dermatitis in Adults: A Diagnostic Challenge
Por:
Salvador, S, Romero-Perez, D and Encabo-Duran, B
Publicada:
1 ene 2017
Resumen:
Atopic dermatitis (AD) has a prevalence of 1%-3% in adults. Adult-onset
AD has only been defined recently, and lack of familiarity with this
condition and confusion regarding the appropriate terminology persist.
AD may first appear in childhood or de novo in adults and is
characterized by pronounced clinical heterogeneity. The disease often
deviates from the classic pattern of flexural dermatitis, and there are
forms of presentation that are specific to adults, such as head-and-neck
dermatitis, chronic eczema of the hands, multiple areas of
lichenification, or prurigo lesions. Although diagnosis is clinical,
adult-onset AD frequently does not fit the traditional diagnostic
criteria for the disease, which were developed for children. Thus, AD is
often a diagnosis of exclusion, especially in de novo cases. Additional
diagnostic tests, such as the patch test, prick test, skin biopsy, or
blood test, are usually necessary to rule out other diseases or other
types of eczema appearing concomitantly with AD. This article presents
an update of the different forms of clinical presentation for AD in
adults along with a proposed diagnostic approach, as new treatments will
appear in the near future and many patients will not be able to benefit
from them unless they are properly diagnosed.
Filiaciones:
:
Hosp Gen Univ Alicante, Serv Dermatol, Alicante, Spain
:
Hosp Gen Univ Alicante, Serv Dermatol, Alicante, Spain
:
Hosp Gen Univ Alicante, Serv Dermatol, Alicante, Spain
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