19 Aug Most Childhood Atopic Dermatitis Lasts About Three Years

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Jonathan Silverberg

Dr. Jonathan L. Silverberg MD PhD MPH
Assistant Professor in Dermatology
Medical Social Sciences and Preventive Medicine
Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Some children with atopic dermatitis may have disease activity persist into adolescence and adulthood, although most children are thought to “grow out of it.” There have been a number of studies with varied results about how commonly atopic dermatitis actually persists later in life. Moreover, the risk factors for persistence of atopic dermatitis are unclear. We sought to systematically analyze the extant literature of research studies to determine the rates and predictors of atopic dermatitis persistence over time.

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?

Response: The median duration of atopic dermatitis persistence was 3 years. Only 1 in 5 children with atopic dermatitis had disease persistence beyond 8 years. The disease characteristics associated with more persistent disease were already persistent disease, later onset and more severe disease. Interestingly, studies that used patient-reported outcomes found more prolonged persistence than those using investigator- or physician-reported outcomes.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: These data may be useful for clinicians to predict which children will have persistent atopic dermatitis. Overall, we can reassure children with atopic dermatitis and their families that their atopic dermatitis is likely to resolve. However, there are subsets at higher risk for persistence.

Most children had active disease for at least 3 years and some for more than a decade. These data underscore the importance of employing therapeutic strategies to achieve long-term control of atopic dermatitis.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: Future epidemiological studies are needed to better understand the genetic and environmental of the clinical course of atopic dermatitis. 

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Citation:

Persistence of atopic dermatitis (AD): A systematic review and meta-analysis
Published online: August 18, 2016
Jooho P. Kim, Lucy X. Chao, Eric L. Simpson, Jonathan I. Silverberg
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology

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Last Updated on August 19, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD