ATOPIC DERMATITIS: LEARNING BY A CLINICAL CASE

Key words: Atopic dermatitis, Allergy, Avoidance diet, Emollient treatment, Topical corticosteroid

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder with immunological etiology. It is characterized by itchy, exudative lesions and a particular “dry skin”. It is a very common disease and the evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of standard treatments are well established. Nevertheless, it is very difficult to obtain an adequate compliance by parents, especially because of unclear and uncomplete explanation about the right treatment. Frequently, parents are concerned about the possibility of adverse effects of topical glucocorticoids and they do not understand the importance of topical care. On the other hand, an inappropriate avoidance diet can cause severe nutritional damages withouth any skin improvement. We report a case of a 9-month-old boy affected by serious atopic dermatitis which was wrongly treated. His mother was reticent to treat the boy with topical corticosteroid and she understood that the main treatment was the avoidance diet, but she was exhausted and wanted relief for her child. How should the problem be managed?