New research suggests atopic dermatitis (AD or eczema) could have symptoms that last through their 20s. The patients will most likely have "waxing and waning" skin problems.
Eczema is a skin disease that usually presents itself in childhood, but little is known about what triggers the condition in the first place, a JAMA Network Journals news release reported. The researchers looked at 7,157 children who were enrolled in the Pediatric Eczema Elective Registry (PEER) study. The team worked to evaluate the "prevalence of symptoms over time," the news release reported. The average age of eczema onset was 1.7 years old.
The team found that patients of every age between the ages of two and 26 had either eczema symptoms or were taking medication for the condition. About 64 percent of the patients never reported a full six-month period where their skin was symptom-free while they were not using topical medications. At the age of 20, 50 percent of patients reported at least one six-month period free of symptoms without getting treatment.
"The authors acknowledge that study participants may have had more severe disease and therefore more persistent eczema," the news release reported.
"In conclusion, symptoms associated with AD seem to persist well into the second decade of a child's life and likely longer. ... Based on our findings, it is probable that AD does not fully resolve in most children with mild to moderate symptoms. Physicians who treat children with mild to moderate AD should tell children and their caregivers that AD is a lifelong illness with periods of waxing and waning skin problems," the researchers said, the news release reported.
The study was funded by a grant from Valeant Pharmaceuticals, which manufactures and eczema-fighting drug. The study was also supported by the National Institute of Arthritis Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
