Atopic Dermatitis With a Focus on Moderate to Severe Disease

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis (AD) affects nearly 10% of children and 7% of adults in the United States. Initial treatments for all patients with AD include vigilant skin hygiene and moisturizers. Other treatments, depending on disease severity, include topical corticosteroids, calcineurin inhibitors, or phototherapy as maintenance therapy to lengthen the time to relapse. Systemic immunosuppressants are recommended when these regimens are inadequate but are associated with poor side effect profiles. Recent discoveries are leading to more effective and safer immunomodulatory therapies. An overview of AD clinical pathways will focus on moderate to severe disease, including a discussion of the newest available treatment—dupilumab.