Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema)

Dermatology · ~4% of blueprint
Pathophysiology
Skin-barrier dysfunction + Th2 immune dysregulation → chronic relapsing inflammation; part of the atopic triad.
Signs & Symptoms
Pruritic, erythematous, scaly patches in flexural areas (antecubital/popliteal); chronic lichenification.
Gold Standard Diagnosis
Clinical diagnosis — pruritus + typical morphology/distribution + a chronic relapsing course.
First-line Treatment
Emollients + topical corticosteroids; topical calcineurin, PDE-4 or JAK inhibitors; trigger avoidance.
High-Yield Pearl

Eczema is “the itch that rashes” — flexural distribution and part of the atopic triad.

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Sources

Reviewed September 2026
  1. Guidelines of Care for the Management of Atopic Dermatitis, Section 1: Diagnosis and assessment (2014) — American Academy of Dermatology, 2014
  2. Atopic dermatitis clinical guideline (recommendation summaries incl. 2023 topical instalment and 2025 focused update) — American Academy of Dermatology, 2026
  3. StatPearls: Atopic Dermatitis — StatPearls Publishing, 2026

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