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Previous Volume 358:1483-1494 April 3, 2008 Number 14 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Atopic dermatitis, or eczema, is a common skin disease that is often associated with other atopic disorders, such as allergic rhinitis and asthma.¹ The clinical manifestations of atopic dermatitis (Figure 1) vary with age; three stages can often be identified. In infancy, the first eczematous lesions usually emerge on the cheeks and the scalp. Scratching, which frequently starts a few weeks later, causes crusted erosions. During childhood, lesions involve flexures, the nape, and the dorsal aspects of the limbs. In adolescence and adulthood, lichenified plaques affect the flexures, head, and neck. In each stage, itching that continues throughout . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Epidemiology of Atopic Dermatitis

Genetics of Atopic Dermatitis

Barrier Function of the Skin

Physical Barrier

The Innate Immune System

Immunopathologic Mechanisms of Atopic Dermatitis

Initial Mechanisms of Skin Inflammation

The Initiation Site of Sensitization

Dendritic Cells

A Biphasic T-Cell–Mediated Disease

Staphylococcus aureus

Mechanism of Pruritus

Autoimmunity in Atopic Dermatitis

A Unifying Hypothesis

Clinical Implications

Conclusions

Source Information

From the Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.

Address reprint requests to Dr. Bieber at the Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University Medical Center, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany, or at thomas.bieber@ukb.uni-bonn.de.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• (2008). Review of Atopic Dermatitis. Journal Watch Dermatology 2008: 1-1 [Full Text]