Critical review of ISAAC results for atopic dermatitis in tropical cities

In different epidemiological medical tests -specifically the ones tested in tropical regions- a substantial increase has been observed in the prevalence of atopic dermatitis. ISAAC is the largest international test to analyze dermatitis epidemiology, which tested the prevalence of the most prevalence of the most common childhood atopic diseases in almost 200 points in more than 50 countries around the world. According to that test, the prevalence of dermatitis in tropical countries, especially in those from Latin America, was higher in comparison with other regions with a mode of 15%. That percentage among those populations using the same survey suggests that some genetic and environmental factors have an important effect on the development of dermatitis. However, considering that the surveys were completed by participants, it is possible that there was a misidentification of the disease and a tilt made from the patient, therefore comparative tests with cohort studies of the region are needed in order to determine if they are clinically relevant or not. In this article, we compare the prevalence of dermatitis reported by the ISSAC in tropical countries and some studies using other commonly diagnostic methods tested in the region.