title: Treatment options for atopic dermatitis.
abstract: Atopic dermatitis is a common inflammatory skin condition that usually affects children. It is a chronic disease, with periods of remission and flare-ups, that adversely affects the quality of life of patients and their families. Aggressive therapy with emollients is an important intervention for patients with atopic dermatitis. Patients should avoid individual disease triggers and allergens. Topical corticosteroids are the mainstay of treatment for flare-ups and are the standard to which other treatments are compared. Topical calcineurin inhibitors should not be used in patients younger than two years or in those who are immunosuppressed, and should be secondline therapies in other patients. Rarely, systemic agents (e.g., cyclosporine, interferon gamma-1b, oral corticosteroids) may be considered in adults.
authors.affiliation: Siouxland Medical Education Foundation, Sioux City, Iowa 51104, USA. c.buys@slmef.org
authors.forename: Lucinda M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Buys
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D055502:Secondary Prevention
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D003879:Dermatologic Agents; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists