The term atopy was introduced years ago to designate a group of patients who had a personal or family history of one or more of the following diseases: hay fever, asthma, very dry skin, and eczema.
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, pruritic eczematous disease that nearly always begins in childhood and follows a remitting/flaring course that may continue throughout life. It develops as a result of a complex interrelationship of environmental, immunologic, genetic, and pharmacologic factors. It may be exacerbated by infection, psychologic stress, seasonal/climate changes, irritants, and allergens. The disease often moderates with age, but patients carry a life-long skin sensitivity to irritants, and this atopy predisposes them to occupational skin disease.
The disease characteristics vary with age. Infants have facial and patchy or generalized body eczema. Adolescents and adults have eczema in flexural areas and on the hands. The pattern of inheritance is unknown, but available data suggest that it is polygenic.
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