Diagnosis of Atopic Dermatitis
There are several methods for diagnosing atopic dermatitis in a patient. The initial step is to conduct a physical examination and review the patient’s family history. When diagnosing atopic dermatitis in infants, physicians inquire about family history and the onset of symptoms. In order to determine the nature and stage of a patient’s skin condition, the physical appearance of lesions on the body and the area of distribution, seasonal variations on the skin, and the severity of rashes and skin are observed.
The contact of individuals with environmental factors, such as pollen, pollution, and cleaning agents such as plastics, nail polish remover, or chemicals and chromatics, which can cause atopic dermatitis, is also evaluated.
Another potential complication of atopic dermatitis, such as a bacterial infection of the skin or eye, is thoroughly evaluated.
The patient is asked multiple inquiries, including
Whether the patient’s skin lesion is affected by any smoking- or perfume-, shampoo-, or detergent-inducing factors?
If the consumption or use of a substance or medication increases, are the symptoms or skin irritants likely to increase?
Is the patient involved in aggressive activities such as sports and diversions, or does he or she perform strenuous exercises daily? If the patient is a female, her maturation cycle routine is examined to determine if any alterations have occurred as a result of her menstrual cycle.
There are currently no laboratory tests that can confirm a diagnosis of atopic dermatitis. Due to the similarity of symptoms between atopic dermatitis and seborrheic dermatitis, in some instances physicians must perform multiple examinations to differentiate between the two conditions.
For a patient to be diagnosed with atopic dermatitis, four primary criteria must be met.
Pruritus is a persistent or chronic form of dermatitis.
Patient’s family history of atopic dermatitis
Multiple lesions and rashes on the epidermis.
The atopic dermatitis patient may also experience food intolerance and fibre intolerance.
The epidermis becomes more sensitive, making it more susceptible to infection. As a physical examination alone is insufficient to diagnose topic dermatitis, a laboratory test is also administered.
Laboratory analyses
To determine the initial cause of the condition, laboratory tests are administered. Sometimes two distinct diseases exhibit identical symptoms, making it extremely difficult for the physician to identify the disease. These tests aid to determine the disease and its cause. Here are some of the diagnostic procedures for atopic dermatitis:
