Skin Deep: Mastering Atopic Dermatitis Treatment in Primary Care

Panelists discuss how atopic dermatitis presents with red, scaly, itchy, dry, and inflamed skin and is commonly diagnosed in childhood, although it can occur at any age, with frequent flares and comorbid conditions like asthma and allergies.

Panelists discuss how atopic dermatitis (AD) affects approximately 7% of adults, has increased by 3% to 5% over the last 5 years, and impacts different body regions depending on age groups.

Panelists discuss how various assessment tools like the IGA, EASI score, and BSA are used to determine the severity of atopic dermatitis and document findings for insurance purposes.

Panelists discuss how even mild atopic dermatitis can significantly impact quality of life, with 11% of patients with mild symptoms reporting moderate to large impact on their daily functioning.

Panelists discuss how topical steroids should be used intermittently with scheduled breaks to prevent adverse effects like skin atrophy, striae, and telangiectasias.

Panelists discuss how long-term use of topical steroids is prevalent with 50% of patients using them 15 to 30 days per month, leading to concerns about adverse effects, including topical steroid withdrawal syndrome.

Panelists discuss how newer nonsteroidal topical treatments like phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors (crisaborole and roflumilast), JAK inhibitors (ruxolitinib), and aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonists (tapinarof) are expanding options for atopic dermatitis treatment.

Panelists discuss how roflumilast demonstrated good efficacy with 56% to 57% of patients achieving an Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) score of 0 or 1 after long-term use, making it effective for maintenance therapy with good tolerability.

Panelists discuss how choosing topical treatments requires individualized therapy considering factors such as affected body areas, disease severity, patient age, formulation preferences, and insurance coverage.