The Presence of Atopic March in Patients Diagnosed with Atopic Dermatitis

Abstract

Objective: Atopic march is a model that explains the progression of allergic diseases from atopic dermatitis (AD) to allergic asthma and rhinitis. In our study, while evaluating the presence of allergen sensitivity and allergic diseases in patients who were diagnosed with AD and followed up until the age of at least 5 years, we wanted to investigate how much the definition of classical atopic gait responded to expectations. Material and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the file records of patients diagnosed with atopic dermatitis, whose ages were 2 years and under at the time of application and followed up regularly until at least 5 years of age. We recorded the clinical and laboratory findings. We noted the allergic disease status and allergen sensitivity of the patients when they were 5 years old. Results: Forty-one patients with a diagnosis of AD who met the criteria were identified. During the application, we found food sensitivity in 28 (68.3%) patients. When 41 patients reached the age of 5, 13 (31.7%) were diagnosed with asthma and 12 (29.2%) were diagnosed with allergic rhinitis. Conclusion: We found the frequency of asthma and allergic rhinitis higher in patients with AD than in the normal population. However, we could not show a relationship between food sensitivity and the development of asthma and/or allergic rhinitis. Effective skin care in AD can be protective for developing of allergic diseases. In order for clinicians to understand the heterogeneity of atopic disease models in children and to eliminate this variability, infants with AD should be followed up in later life.