[What is the value of non-immunosuppressor therapy in the treatment of atopic dermatitis?].
BACKGROUND
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a frequent dermatosis in infants and children, the management of which combines measures of prevention and medical treatment.


METHODS
The efficacy of the various treatments available requires rigorous assessment. Our analysis of the literature used the "Pubmed" data bank. More specifically, we studied the interest of antihistamines, antibiotics, antifungals, essential fatty acids and probiotics during AD in children.


RESULTS
Concerning antihistamines, only the anti-h1 have been assessed during AD and their efficacy appears modest in the papers published. The interest of antibiotics and antiseptics, in the absence of documented surinfection, is marginal. The management of herpes virus viral infections during AD essentially relies on acyclovir. The interest raised by essential fatty acid supplementation in atopic patients has not been confirmed in papers published on the subject. Although the role of probiotics in the prevention and treatment of AD is attractive, intellectually, it has not been validated in large cohort studies.


CONCLUSIONS
In the light of this study, many supplementary treatments with topical corticosteroids during AD do not resist "evidence-based" clinical trials. However, the individual benefits of some of these treatments should not be ruled out.
Service de Dermatologie, Hôpital Laennec, BP 1757, 29107 Quimper Cedex. p.plantin@ch-cornouaille.fr
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Plantin
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D012874:Skin Diseases, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists