Atopic dermatitis
What is atopic dermatitis? Atopic dermatitis is an inaccurate term for atopic eczema. Let's take a layman's review of the basic glossary of terms occurring in association with atopy and dermatitis.
Dermatitis is the name for damage to the skin. It refers to a range of diseases or damage. From sunburn to various burns, eczema to viral, bacterial inflammation and parasitic skin diseases.
Atopy is the name given to a hereditary tendency to allergies.
Allergy is often confused with hypersensitivity. In allergy, however, the whole body reacts. Antibodies are produced in the blood to even a few molecules of the allergen. Allergic people usually have a problem with one or two allergens, rarely with five or more.
An atopy is a person with a hereditary tendency to allergies. An atopic person may suffer from asthma, food allergies, swelling (after insect bites), hives and also eczema.
Atopic dermatitis refers to several allergic skin manifestations. Most commonly urticaria, angioedema or eczema.
Allergic urticaria is most often the body's reaction to a food. A rash pops up all over the body, merging into red and severely itchy patches.
Allergic angioedema is a severe swelling of the skin most often after an insect bite or after contact with certain plants. The skin is horny, red, may even crack with tension and itches severely.
Atopic eczema is an allergic inflammation of the skin. It has various manifestations, from dry and peeling skin to wetting.
Atopy occurs in 15-20% of children. Clinically, it is most often manifested as atopic eczema. In half of them in the first year of life, by puberty in about 80%. It does not happen often, but occasionally clinical signs may not appear until adulthood. They may also not manifest at all.
Atopic dermatitis is an itchy, chronic, relapsing, inflammatory skin disease with an atopic basis.
It belongs to the group of genetically determined (hereditary) atopic diseases, together with allergic asthma, hay fever, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and celiac disease.
The inborn predisposition to this disease (heredity of eczema) cannot be eliminated or changed by treatment. However, we can try to control the manifestations and keep them in a resting phase without active inflammatory foci.
Atopic dermatitis is caused by a disrupted skin barrier and dysregulation (disruption of lipid intercellular junctions) of the interconnected immune mechanisms in the skin, resulting in an inflammatory reaction. Water leaks outwards, causing dehydration and dryness of the skin, while inwards, allergens from the environment penetrate the skin, creating an inflammatory deposit. Colonisation of eczema deposits by bacteria is common.
