[Atopic dermatitis]

Atopic dermatitis is an important manifestation of the atopic diathesis with increasing incidence. The average lifetime prevalence in Switzerland is about 13%. The skin disease is characterised by severe itching, eczematous skin lesions with often distinctive distribution, dryness of the skin and a personal of family history of atopic diseases. The following article summarises some clinical, epidemiological, therapeutical and pathogenetical aspects of atopic dermatitis. Studies from the allergy unit of Zurich contributed to a better understanding of the disease. Thus, Storck was contributing various studies about neurovegetative and circulatory dysregulations in patients with atopic dermatitis. Furthermore, he already realised in 1955 a relation between exacerbations of eczema and the sensitisation to inhalatory allergens. Schnyder demonstrated that asthma, rhinitis and atopic dermatitis have the same genetic background and Wüthrich contributed important data about the natural history of the disease and the occurrence and relevance of total and specific IgE antibodies.