[The concept of disease in patients with atopic dermatitis]

34 former patients of a dermatological department with atopic dermatitis were compared with 29 patients of an Ear-Nose-Throat-department having similar age, sex and occupation and showing hardly any psychosomatic disturbances. Contrary to our expectations, the empiric-psychological examination did not reveal any impairment of the social behavior or the emotional competence of patients suffering from atopic dermatitis. In comparison to the control group, the patients of the dermatological department attached significantly greater importance to psychological influences on development as well as treatment of the disease. There was a correlation between symptoms "coming from outside" and the social competence; however, this correlation was not significantly greater than the control group. Our investigations suggest that atopic dermatitis may be differentiated into somatical-organizing types and rather psychological-organizing types. The second group shows uncertainties with regard to the social competence.