Atopic dermatitis epidemiology and unmet need in the United Kingdom

Figures & data

Figure 1. Skin barrier dysfunction and immune response in atopic dermatitis (AD). DC: dendritic cell; IFN-γ: interferon gamma; ILC: innate lymphoid cell; IL: interleukin; IL-17 A/F: IL-17 A/F homodimer or heterodimer; LC: Langerhans cell; Th1: T helper type 1 cell; Th17: T helper type 17 cell; Th2: T helper type 2 cell; Th22: T helper type 22 cell; TSLP: thymic stromal lymphopoietin.

Table 1. Holistic assessment of atopic dermatitis (AD) and treatment options for children under the age of 12 years (103).

	Skin/physical severity	Impact on quality of life and psychosocial well-being	Stepped approach to treatment
Clear	Normal skin, no evidence of active eczema	No impact on quality of life
Mild	Areas of dry skin, infrequent itching (with/without redness)	Little impact on everyday activities, sleep, and psychosocial well-being	Emollients, mild potency topical corticosteroids (TCSs)
Moderate	Areas of dry skin, frequent itching, redness (with/without excoriation and localized skin thickening)	Moderate impact on everyday activities and psychosocial well-being, frequently disturbed sleep	Emollients, moderate potency TCSs, topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs), bandages and dressings
Severe	Widespread areas of dry skin, incessant itching (with/without excoriation, extensive skin thickening, bleeding, oozing, cracking, alteration of pigmentation)	Severe limitation of everyday activities and psychosocial functioning, nightly loss of sleep	Emollients, potent TCSs, TCIs, bandages and dressings, phototherapy, systemic therapy

Adapted from NICE, 2007 (103).

NICE. Atopic eczema in under 12s: diagnosis and management. Clinical guideline [CG57]. London: NICE; 2007. Available from: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg57.

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