Atopic dermatitis or otherwise atopic or infant eczema is a chronic, itchy, inflammatory skin disease that appears mainly in childhood and is characterized by periods of exacerbations and remissions.

The disease manifests itself with repeated skin inflammations and severe itching and is characterized by periods of exacerbation and remission (during which the skin appears normal).

The intense itching can cause secondary infections by bacteria or fungi, which try to invade the injured, through the scratching, skin.
Atopic dermatitis can manifest on any area of the body but some areas are more frequently infected than others.

In children atopic dermatitis usually manifests as a skin rash on the face before spreading to the hands and legs.
Older children and adults may initially observe red, sensitive skin areas behind the knees, on the elbows or the neck, on the wrist, the ankles and the hands. It also can infect the skin around the eyebrows and the eyes.

It manifests more often in cold countries and during early childhood. Only in a small percentage the disease manifest after puberty.

The exact causes of the disease are not fully understood, but it became well known that chronic atopic dermatitis is a combination of interactions between :

• Distorted operation of the skin barrier
• Immunological factors
• Environmental factors
• Genetic predisposition
• Further there are some allergizing agents which affect a flare of the disease such as:
• Woolen clothes from rough fabrics
• Plants and pollen
• Bleach and other chemical agents

The atopic dermatitis treatment aims first on the rehydration of the skin with moisturisers to prevent dry skin, which is responsible for the intense itching. Then medication is administered, under the guidance of a dermatologist, e.g. antihistamines to control itching, antibiotics to fight secondary infections, and local corticosteroids ( in the form of cream or ointment) or local inhibitors to control the disease.
In persistent cases Phototherapy can be used with excellent results and without any side effect as it is a therapy with light.