Dermatology for the internist: optimal diagnosis and management of atopic dermatitis
AbstractInternists are front-line health care providers that commonly provide the first encounter to patients for dermatological conditions, especially atopic dermatitis (AD). Internists need to be comfortable with managing mild-moderate AD in their practices. Criteria and guidelines established in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Annals of Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/07853890.2021.2004322 |
| _version_ | 1797385735633895424 |
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| author | Shanthi Narla Jonathan I. Silverberg |
| author_facet | Shanthi Narla Jonathan I. Silverberg |
| author_sort | Shanthi Narla |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | AbstractInternists are front-line health care providers that commonly provide the first encounter to patients for dermatological conditions, especially atopic dermatitis (AD). Internists need to be comfortable with managing mild-moderate AD in their practices. Criteria and guidelines established in dermatology literature are available to help the general practitioner diagnose and treat AD. AD is a systemic disease associated with multiple cutaneous and extra-cutaneous comorbidities that warrant screening by internists, especially mental health conditions. Environmental factors may play a role in the development or worsening of AD; however, there is currently no strong evidence to guide specific population- or clinic-based interventions for their avoidance. While food allergies are common in AD patients, the role of food allergens as an exacerbating factor for AD is controversial. Before starting any dietary modifications, careful evaluation should be performed by an allergist. If the patient is not well-controlled despite adequate topical therapies or is experiencing severe/worsening disease, early referral to dermatology is warranted to rule out confounding diagnoses and/or escalation to systemic therapies. Finally, it is important to recognise the racial disparities present in AD and address these when formulating treatment plans.Key messages:Confounding dermatoses, either instead of or in addition to AD, should be considered in treatment-refractory AD, and the appropriate workup may be initiated while awaiting dermatology referral.AD patients have multiple cutaneous and extra-cutaneous comorbidities that warrant screening by internists, especially mental health conditions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:58:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e5e67ad83b2b47e084ec6f44826109dd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0785-3890 1365-2060 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:58:33Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Annals of Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-e5e67ad83b2b47e084ec6f44826109dd2023-12-19T16:46:26ZengTaylor & Francis GroupAnnals of Medicine0785-38901365-20602021-01-015312165217710.1080/07853890.2021.2004322Dermatology for the internist: optimal diagnosis and management of atopic dermatitisShanthi Narla0Jonathan I. Silverberg1Department of Dermatology, St. Luke’s University Health Network, Easton, PA, USADepartment of Dermatology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USAAbstractInternists are front-line health care providers that commonly provide the first encounter to patients for dermatological conditions, especially atopic dermatitis (AD). Internists need to be comfortable with managing mild-moderate AD in their practices. Criteria and guidelines established in dermatology literature are available to help the general practitioner diagnose and treat AD. AD is a systemic disease associated with multiple cutaneous and extra-cutaneous comorbidities that warrant screening by internists, especially mental health conditions. Environmental factors may play a role in the development or worsening of AD; however, there is currently no strong evidence to guide specific population- or clinic-based interventions for their avoidance. While food allergies are common in AD patients, the role of food allergens as an exacerbating factor for AD is controversial. Before starting any dietary modifications, careful evaluation should be performed by an allergist. If the patient is not well-controlled despite adequate topical therapies or is experiencing severe/worsening disease, early referral to dermatology is warranted to rule out confounding diagnoses and/or escalation to systemic therapies. Finally, it is important to recognise the racial disparities present in AD and address these when formulating treatment plans.Key messages:Confounding dermatoses, either instead of or in addition to AD, should be considered in treatment-refractory AD, and the appropriate workup may be initiated while awaiting dermatology referral.AD patients have multiple cutaneous and extra-cutaneous comorbidities that warrant screening by internists, especially mental health conditions.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/07853890.2021.2004322Atopic dermatitisinternistcomorbiditiesscreeningmental healthdepression |
| spellingShingle | Shanthi Narla Jonathan I. Silverberg Dermatology for the internist: optimal diagnosis and management of atopic dermatitis Annals of Medicine Atopic dermatitis internist comorbidities screening mental health depression |
| title | Dermatology for the internist: optimal diagnosis and management of atopic dermatitis |
| title_full | Dermatology for the internist: optimal diagnosis and management of atopic dermatitis |
| title_fullStr | Dermatology for the internist: optimal diagnosis and management of atopic dermatitis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dermatology for the internist: optimal diagnosis and management of atopic dermatitis |
| title_short | Dermatology for the internist: optimal diagnosis and management of atopic dermatitis |
| title_sort | dermatology for the internist optimal diagnosis and management of atopic dermatitis |
| topic | Atopic dermatitis internist comorbidities screening mental health depression |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/07853890.2021.2004322 |
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