Korean J Dermatol.
1997 Jun;35(3):443-449.
Diagnostic Significance of Clinical History of Atopic Dermatitis in Koreans by Questionnaire
Abstract
-
BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown an incomplete agreement with the previously proposed diagnostic criteria of Hanifin and Rajka for atopic dermatitis(AD). This could be due to ethnic differences in the clinical manifestations of AD. To make a diagnosis of AD with confidence, one has to depend on the history and clinical picture according to race.
OBJECTIVES
The purpose of the present study was to find out the importance of individual symptoms and histories for the diagnosis of Korean AD by questionnaire.
METHODS
The frequency of 25 questionnaire items was studied in 130 patients with typical AD (48 childhood, 82 adolescence/adult) compared to that in 198 control subjects (89 childhood, 109 adolescence/adult).
RESULTS
Nine items(itchy with bodily heat, itchy when sweating, cholinergic urticaria, miliaria, irritation with fabrics, food reaction, pollen allergy, itch with stress) were shown to be of much diagnostic significance(p<0.001) in childhood AD,otherwise thirteen items(itchy with bodily heat, itchy when sweating, cholinergic urticaria, sense of fever, excessive sweating, miliaria, irritation with cosmetics, irritation with fabrics, irritation prone hands, itchy with woolen clothes, pollen allergy, itch with stress, dermographism) were in adolescent and adult, AD.
CONCLUSION
We found some diagnostic significance of clinical histories in Korean AD patients by questionnaire. We propose that this accessible questionnaire would be an efficient and powerful method with which to obtain new and valid information on AD.
