title: Clinical Diversity of Atopic Dermatitis: A Review of 5,000 Patients at a Single Institute.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic eczematous dermatitis that has a high prevalence and diverse clinical features. Although several hypotheses about its multifactorial pathogenesis have been suggested, the cause is not yet fully understood. A better understanding of the clinical features may helpful inelucidating the pathogenesis of AD.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study analyzed the questionnaires, medical charts, and laboratory examination results of 5,000 patients diagnosed with AD at a single tertiary hospital in Korea.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The demographics, allergic comorbidities, family history, severity, and treatment experiences of the patients were analyzed. Most of the patients were adults, 76.3% of whom were classified as havingan extrinsic type of AD. The mean eczema area and severity index (EASI) score was found to be 13.68, and adult patients were found to have higher severity than the other age groups. The anatomical involvements were different among the age groups, with more involvements of the head and neck in adults. The patients reported seasonal changes and stress as the factors that aggravated their symptoms the most. Topical steroids and oral cyclosporine were the most used medications at our clinic, whereas 10.1% of the patients underwent allergen-specific immunotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This analysis of 5,000 patients would lead to a better understanding of various subtypes and diverse clinical features of AD in Koreans. Distinct characteristics were observed among different age groups; thus, treatment strategies may need to be differentiated accordingly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Severance Hospital, Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Severance Hospital, Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jung U
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Severance Hospital, Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chang Ook
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Severance Hospital, Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hemin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Severance Hospital, Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jungsoo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Severance Hospital, Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. kwanglee@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Kwang Hoon
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Atopic dermatitis; clinical diversity