New treatments for atopic dermatitis

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis now affects 15% to 20% of chil­
dren in developed countries, and prevalence
in cities in developing countries undergoing
rapid demographic changes is quickly following suit.1
Most cases of atopic dermatitis in a given community
are mild, but children with moderate to severe disease
can have continuous itching and associated loss of
sleep. The social stigma of a visible skin disease can also
be soul destroying for both patient and family. A few
studies have suggested that some degree of prevention
of the disease is possible,2 although these measures
have not been taken up widely. In the absence of any
treatment that is known to alter the clinical course of
the disease, most treatment is aimed at reducing symp­
toms and signs. After a relative lull of almost 40 years,
new drugs—tacrolimus and pimecrolimus—have
appeared that offer different approaches to managing
this miserable disease. Do they work? Are they safe?
And how do they compare with existing treatments?