title: Atopic dermatitis in adults: clinical and epidemiological considerations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory disease causing intense pruritus, and with typical clinical features. There are few epidemiological studies concerning AD in adults, as well as little information about its prognostic. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and epidemiological course of adults with AD.
  
  
  METHODS
  80 patients aged above 18 years (mean age=29 years) were selected (30 males and 50 females) and interviewed about hospitalization, systemic corticoid usage, age of AD onset, and personal and/or familial history of atopy. Disease severity was evaluated through the Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) tool. Laboratory examination included IgE serum levels and eosinophil blood count.
  
  
  RESULTS
  71 out of 80 patients referred association with respiratory symptoms (18 had asthma, 17 had rhinitis, and 36 had both conditions); nine out of 80 patients denied any respiratory disease. AD patients were divided in mild (n=25), moderate (n=30), and severe (n=25); 56% had one or more hospitalizations due to AD. A positive association was found between IgE serum levels, eosinophil blood count, and disease severity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adult AD represents a clinical challenge that needs to be better characterized, since it can be misdiagnosed and interferes with the patient's social and personal life. The association of skin and respiratory atopic disease is frequent, and laboratory parameters such as circulating IgE levels and eosinophil blood count may be helpful to assess disease severity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Medical School, Universidade de São Paulo USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Raquel Leão
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Orfali
authors.forename: Marta M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Takaoka
authors.forename: Mariana C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Zaniboni
authors.forename: Aline S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ishizaki
authors.forename: Anderson A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Ana Paula L
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Tiba
authors.forename: Maria Notomi
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Valéria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Aoki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007073:Immunoglobulin E