Incidence of Atopy in Patients With Various Neurodermatoses

Abstract

A total of 2,544 new patients with dermatologic disease were evaluated for the presence of atopic disorders in the personal or family history. Of these, 535 patients had primary dermatologic diagnoses of exudative or dry neurodermatitis, 177 had "functional" dermatoses, and, 1,832 had other dermatoses —"organic" dermatoses. The group with various neurodermatitides was divided into dry neurodermatitis disseminata (atopic dermatitis) and dry localized neurodermatitis (lichen simplex chronicus), exudative neurodermatitis disseminata and exudative localized neurodermatitis (nummular eczema, dyshidrotic eczema, "housewives' eczema"), and neurodermatitis with seborrheic distribution. The exudative localized group was further subdivided into cases compatible with the diagnosis of "housewives' eczema," and cases not compatible with this diagnosis. All types of both exudative and dry neurodermatitis, except the dry localized variety, had a significantly higher incidence of atopic diathesis than the "organic" control group. The increase in atopic background in the various "functional" dermatoses was much less marked. We conclude that all types of dry and exudative neurodermatitis, except dry localized neurodermatitis, have a similar atopic background.