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The prevalence of atopic triad in children with physician-confirmed atopic dermatitis.

Kapoor R, Menon C, Hoffstad O, Bilker W, Leclerc P, Margolis DJ

George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia.

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is often associated with comorbidities such as allergic rhinitis and asthma. OBJECTIVE: We sought to describe the frequency of these comorbidities in children with AD. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of the first 2270 children with physician-confirmed AD enrolled in a large postmarketing cohort. All were queried for information on comorbidities using a questionnaire from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood. RESULTS: In all, 71.3% reported at least one additional form of atopy (symptoms of asthma or allergic rhinitis). A total of 33.3% reported only symptoms of asthma or allergic rhinitis whereas 38.0% reported symptoms of asthma and allergic rhinitis. By age 3 years, nearly 66% reported at least one additional form of atopy. A statistically significant trend toward poorer disease control was observed for those with additional atopic illnesses (P < .001). LIMITATIONS: This is a cross-sectional study. CONCLUSION: Individuals with AD exhibit a predisposition to additional atopic illnesses by age 3 years and in turn the presence of these illnesses correlates with poor disease control.

Published 26 December 2007 in J Am Acad Dermatol, 58(1): 68-73.
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