Criteria for Diagnosis

The American Academy of Dermatology Diagnostic Criteria for AD include essential features (must be present for diagnosis)¹:

• Pruritus
• Eczema (acute, subacute, chronic)
  • Chronic or relapsing history
  • Typical morphology and age-specific patterns including:
    • Facial, neck, and extensor involvement in infants and children
    • Current or previous flexural lesions in any age group
    • Sparing of the groin and axillary regions

• Important features seen in most cases, adding support to the diagnosis:
  • Early age of onset
  • Atopy
    • Personal and/or family history
    • IgE reactivity
  • Xerosis

• Associated features – These clinical associations help to suggest the diagnosis of AD but are too nonspecific to be used for defining or detecting AD for research and epidemiologic studies:
  • Atypical vascular responses (eg, facial pallor, white dermographism, delayed blanch response)
  • Keratosis pilaris / pityriasis alba / hyperlinear palms / ichthyosis
  • Ocular / periorbital changes
  • Other regional findings (eg, perioral changes / periauricular lesions)
  • Perifollicular accentuation / lichenification / prurigo lesions

 

¹Eichenfield LF, Tom WL, Chamlin SL, et al. Guidelines of care for the management of atopic dermatitis: section 1. Diagnosis and assessment of atopic dermatitis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014;70(2):338-351. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2013.10.010

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  Hyperpigmented, lichenified plaques involving the periorbital skin