LOCALIZATIONS, MANIFESTATIONS AND MICROMANIFESTATIONS OF ATOPIC-DERMATITIS IN YOUNG-ADULTS - PERSONAL FOLLOW-UP 20 YEARS AFTER DIAGNOSIS IN CHILDHOOD

A follow-up study of 47 patients who had suffered from atopic dermatitis in infancy (<2 years aged old) was conducted by means of a questionnaire and personal interview/examination at the mean age of 23 years. It was found that 72.3% of them were still suffering from atopic dermatitis. The atopic eczema was mostly localized on the fingers (67.6%), on the head, e.g. forehead, eyelids and scalp (32% each), neck (35%) and chest (32%). Different localizations from the juvenile and adolescence phase were observed. In 73.5% the lichenoid type of atopic eczema was seen, in 67.6% the eczematic form of reaction, and in 28.4% the follicular form, the latter having decreased significantly in frequency since the adolescent phase. The pruriginous form with prurigo papules was observed only in the 8.8% of the patients who had been suffering from a chronic form of the disease since childhood. Nummular reactions were not observed. In 66% of the patients micromanifestations were present, most frequently perleches (40.4%), retroauricular intertrigo (34%), atopic eyelid eczema (21%) and 21.3% ''pulpite seche'' (tylotic, rhagadiform fingerpad eczema) (21.3%). In 14.9% of all patients these minimal forms of atopic dermatitis were present exclusively.