ABSTRACT
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease commonly seen in patients with a history of asthma or allergic rhinitis.1 Intensely pruritic skin lesions evolve as the result of complex interactions between IgE bearing antigen-presenting cells, T cell activation, mast cell degranulation, keratinocytes, eosinophils, and a combination of immediate and cellular immune responses (see Chapter 3). A number of factors can trigger this inflammatory skin cascade including irritants, foods, aeroallergens, and infection (see Chapter 13).
