Guidelines
Atopic dermatitis remains a challenging condition.
The 2014 guidelines of care for the management of atopic dermatitis (AD) are being published by the American Academy of Dermatology in a series of four parts. Each part begins with a disclaimer stating that, "the ultimate judgment regarding the propriety of any specific therapy must be made by the physician and the patient in light of all the circumstances presented by the individual patient and the known variability and biologic behavior of the disease." The disclaimer continues, "This guideline reflects the best available data at the time the guideline was prepared. The results of future studies may require revisions to the recommendations in this guideline to reflect new data."
• Section 1: Diagnosis and assessment of atopic dermatitis. This section includes risk factors for the development of AD, diagnostic and monitoring techniques, assessment and outcomes, and clinical associations in AD patients (J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 2014;70:338-51).
• Section 2: Management and treatment of atopic dermatitis with topical therapies. This section focuses on recommendations for the use of nonpharmacologic and topical therapies in the management of AD (J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 2014;71:116-32).
• Section 3: Management and treatment with phototherapy and systemic agents. This section reviews indications for the use of phototherapy and systemic immunomodulators for treating AD, including side-effect profiles and clinical considerations for treating children (J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 2014;71:327-49).
• Section 4: The fourth and final section of the guidelines is expected to be published in the September 2014 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
No outside funding sources were involved in the creation of the guidelines. Disclosures of members of the guidelines committee are available following full text of each guidelines section in print and online.