Atopic dermatitis in the aged

Abstract

Direct and indirect observations indicate that the prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) has increased two-to three-fold over the last 30 years [1]. A possible explanation for this increase is a higher susceptibility to sensitization due to environmental factors and the Western lifestyle. AD can be a very debilitating, persistent, and costly, long-term disease [1]. According to a population-based survey of eczema prevalence in the USA, a substantial proportion of the population has symptoms of eczematous conditions, while 17.8 million met the empirical symptom criteria for AD [2]. Progress in understanding the epidemiology of AD has been slow due to the lack of suitable, uniformly used, simple, disease diagnostic criteria that can be used in population surveys among different countries [1]. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010.