Atopic dermatitis (or eczema, or atopic dermatitis) is a skin disease characterized by an erythematous papular and vesicular lesions dry, flaky and very itchy. The spots usually appear between ages 3 months and 2 years. Beginning and predominating in the face, head foremost eczema on the cheeks, forehead, neck. It can spread to the scalp, more rarely spill over to the chest and flexures.
Just under a third of children is concerned. Atopic dermatitis can reach 10% of adults. It starts in about half the cases before the sixth month and in most cases, before the fifth year of the child. It improves spontaneously or be cured before adolescence in nearly 3 out of 4. Some cases are much improved by the reduction or displacement of dairy products and / or foods high in gluten.
The United Kingdom Working Party has proposed specific diagnostic criteria. Microscopy, we find an infiltrate of lymphocytes, monocytes and eosinophils around the small vessels and capillaries. At a chronic stage, the epidermis is thickened, mainly in the stratum corneum.
Atopic dermatitis is a chronic disease that develops in spurts, interspersed with quiet periods or injuries are minimal, although still present. Recent research has clearly demonstrated a particular evolution of the DA with a minimum of 3 different phases:
The first phase, appearing as eczema (also called intrinsic phase) without signs of awareness, can last a lifetime in 20 to 30.
Then may come a stage version of autoimmunity.
There are often factors that cause flare-ups (which must be identified and tackled)
Erythema multiforme Xeroderma pigmentosum