Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026
Author Spotlight: Exploring ShiDuGao's Multi-Target Approach in Anus Eczema Treatment
Published on: January 12, 2024
Temperature-controlled laminar airflow (TLA) device in the treatment of children with severe atopic eczema:
C Gore1,2, R B Gore3, S Fontanella1
1Section of Paediatrics, Department of Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK.
Insights
Temperature-controlled laminar airflow (TLA) significantly reduced eczema severity in children with severe atopic eczema. This treatment may offer an effective alternative for managing difficult-to-control cases.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Pediatrics
- Allergology
Background:
- Severe, persistent atopic eczema (AE) in children presents limited treatment options, often necessitating systemic immunosuppression.
- Identifying effective, non-immunosuppressive therapies for severe AE is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of temperature-controlled laminar airflow (TLA) as a treatment for severe atopic eczema in children and adolescents.
- To assess the impact of TLA on eczema severity, quality of life, and medication requirements.
Main Methods:
- A 12-month intervention study involving 15 children (aged 2-16 years) with severe AE and sensitization to perennial allergens.
- Overnight TLA treatment (Airsonett®) was administered after a 6-10 week run-in period.
- Eczema severity was assessed using SCORAD-Index and Investigator Global Assessment (IGA); quality of life was measured by CDQLI, FDQLI, and DFI questionnaires.
Main Results:
- Significant reductions in AE severity were observed, with SCORAD decreasing from a median of 34.9 to 17.2 (P < .001) and IGA improving from 4 to 2 (P < .001).
- Improvements were noted in family dermatology quality of life (FDQLI) and family impact (DFI) scores (P = .023 and P = .011, respectively).
- A significant reduction in potent topical corticosteroid use was observed at six months (P = .033).
Conclusions:
- Temperature-controlled laminar airflow (TLA) may serve as an effective add-on therapy for managing severe, difficult-to-control atopic eczema in children.
- The study identified two distinct response patterns, suggesting personalized treatment approaches may be beneficial.
Background:
Children with severe, persistent atopic eczema (AE) have limited treatment options, often requiring systemic immunosuppression.
Objective:
To evaluate the effect of the temperature-controlled laminar airflow (TLA) treatment in children/adolescents with severe AE.
Methods:
We recruited 15 children aged 2-16 years with long-standing, severe AE and sensitization to ≥1 perennial inhalant allergen. Run-in period of 6-10 weeks (3 visits) was followed by 12-month treatment with overnight TLA (Airsonett® , Sweden). The primary outcome was eczema severity (SCORAD-Index and Investigator Global Assessment-IGA). Secondary outcomes included child/family dermatology quality of life and family impact questionnaires (CDQLI, FDQLI, DFI), patient-oriented eczema measure (POEM), medication requirements and healthcare contacts. The study is registered as ISRCTN65865773.
Results:
There was a significant reduction in AE severity ascertained by SCORAD and IGA during the 12-month intervention period (P < .001). SCORAD was reduced from a median of 34.9 [interquartile range 28.75-45.15] at Baseline to 17.2 [12.95-32.3] at the final visit, and IGA improved significantly from 4 [3-4] to 2 [1-3]. We observed a significant improvement in FDQLI (16.0 [12.25-19.0] to 12 [8-18], P = .023) and DFI (P = .011), but not CDQLI or POEM. Compared to 6-month period prior to enrolment, there was a significant reduction at six months after the start of the intervention in potent topical corticosteroids (P = .033). The exploratory cluster analysis revealed two strongly divergent patterns of response, with 9 patients classified as responders, and 6 as non-responders.
Conclusion And Clinical Relevance:
Addition of TLA device to standard pharmacological treatment may be an effective add-on to the management of difficult-to-control AE.
Related Concept Videos
00:52Social Proof
01:23Physical Methods for Controlling Microbial Growth: Temperature
01:27Laminar Flow
01:19Self-Concept
Infancy and Emerging Recognition
During infancy, self-concept is virtually nonexistent. Babies do not distinguish themselves as separate entities and often mistake their...
01:23Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast,...
01:24Laminar Flow: Problem Solving