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Article: Prevalence of Atopic Dermatitis In Children Is on the Rise.
- Article from:
- Family Practice News
- Article date:
- November 1, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 International Medical News Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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THOMPSONVILLE, MICH. -- The prevalence of atopic dermatitis is increasing in North America and Europe, but the reason is elusive, Dr. Arnold P. Oranje said at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology.
Currently, 10%-20% of children in Western countries have atopic dermatitis, compared with an estimated 5% to 10% in 1990, he said.
Inheritance appears to be an important element, and exacerbations can be triggered by environmental factors. Atopic dermatitis has many of the features of an allergic disorder, but it does not always follow the rules for diagnosis of allergy, he added.
For example, IgE levels typically are high in ...