Adult-Onset Atopic Dermatitis: Presentations and Progress

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic skin disease characterized by barrier dysfunction and immune dysregulation that affects approximately 20% of children and 2-5% of adults worldwide. Traditionally, AD has been considered a disease of childhood with many cases resolving before adulthood. However, in recent years, the prevalence of adult AD is increasingly recognized to be substantial, but it is uncertain whether this increase is due to increased childhood-persistent or relapsed AD, or new adult-onset AD. This highlights a need for further investigation into the adult AD population and evaluation of phenotypes in the adult-onset cohort. In this literature review, we examine five studies focused on adult-onset AD phenotype, conducted between 2013 and 2017. The most commonly reported body regions affected in adult-onset AD were the hands, eyelids, neck, and flexural surfaces of the upper limbs. These vary from childhood-onset AD findings, which are less specific to body regions other than flexural areas. These findings have implications for diagnostic accuracy and treatment of AD, including considerations for therapeutic choices and inclusion and exclusion criteria in clinical trials.