Managing adults with atopic dermatitis

The majority of the patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) that dermatologists see present to us in childhood. For most patients there is a relatively limited period during which AD is a major influence on their lives. For some patients, however, AD behaves differently and also may cause significant trouble during adolescence and adult life. In this article, adulthood means from approximately puberty onward, but in addition to the issues relating to what amounts to a lifelong chronic disability, there are some points that need to be made about adolescents in particular.