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Article: Atopic dermatitis: Disease overview and the development of topical immunomodulators
- Article from:
- Formulary
- Article date:
- May 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright Advanstar Communications, Inc. May 2002. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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DEFINING ATOPIC DERMATITIS
A topic dermatitis is a chronic, recurrent skin disease characterized by intense pruritus (itching) and inflammation. The disease begins in infancy or early childhood and, in the majority of patients, it continues in some form throughout adulthood. The term "atopy" may be defined as a genetic predisposition for a group of allergic-type diseases to be manifested in an affected individual. Atopic dermatitis is one element in an atopic triad that also includes asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis (hay fever). The relationship between these chronic conditions is striking; approximately 80% of children with atopic dermatitis develop allergic rhinitis or asthma or have a ...