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Contrasting disease patterns in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.
1Department of Dermatology, University of Kiel, Federal Republic of Germany.
Archives of Dermatological Research
|January 1, 1987
Summary
Psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (AD) rarely occur together. This study found only 2 patients with both conditions, suggesting conflicting immune patterns may explain their infrequent co-occurrence in skin disease.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Immunology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (AD) are common inflammatory skin conditions.
- Understanding their co-occurrence and association with infections is clinically relevant.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the simultaneous occurrence of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (AD).
- To examine the association between these conditions and infectious skin diseases.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 29,159 hospitalized patients between 1953 and 1983.
- Comparison of observed versus expected incidence rates for co-occurring psoriasis and AD.
- Assessment of infectious complication rates in patients with psoriasis and AD.
Main Results:
- Only 2 out of 29,159 patients (0.007%) had both psoriasis and AD simultaneously, significantly lower than the expected 36 patients (0.14%).
- Atopic dermatitis (AD) patients had a higher rate of bacterial or viral infections (approx. 30%) compared to psoriasis patients (6.7%).
- None of the 48 patients hospitalized for eczema herpeticatum were psoriatic; 39 were atopics.
Conclusions:
- The simultaneous occurrence of psoriasis and AD in the same patient is rare.
- Conflicting immune defense patterns may underlie the infrequent co-occurrence of these conditions.
- Atopic dermatitis (AD) is associated with higher susceptibility to infections compared to psoriasis.