ARE VIRAL WARTS SEEN MORE COMMONLY IN CHILDREN WITH ECZEMA

Background and Design.-We sought to test the hypothesis that warts are seen more commonly in individuals with eczema by analyzing skin examination data from a national birth cohort study of 9263 British children born between March 3 and 9, 1958. Results.-Warts were seen less frequently in those with visible eczema at ages 11 and 16 years (relative risk, 0.60; 95% confidence intervals, 0.37 to 0.95; P=.03). This inverse association persisted after adjustment for potential confounders and was consistent within each age and sex group for children with a history of eczema who did not have visible eczema at the time of examination and for children with asthma/wheezy bronchitis regardless of eczema status. Visible acne or psoriasis was not associated with a decreased prevalence of warts. Conclusions.-These findings contradict previous suggestions of an increased risk of viral warts in atopic eczema and raise new questions regarding the role of cell-mediated immunity in atopic subjects.