Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a heterogeneous disease that manifests with a wide variety of clinical symptoms and signs. Due to the lack of definitive biomarkers for AD, it is very difficult to set up standard diagnostic criteria for AD which cover the entire spectrum of AD patients. Various instruments have been proposed for AD diagnosis, and they can be classified into a hospital setting or a community setting. From the preventive medicine viewpoint, questionnaire-based diagnostic criteria in a community setting are important to detect and manage childhood AD patients properly. In this article, various diagnostic criteria for AD in hospital and community settings will be reviewed. Additionally, the Reliable Estimation of Atopic Dermatitis in Childhood (REACH), a new full questionnaire-based diagnostic tool for childhood AD, will be reviewed.
Keywords: Reliable Estimation of Atopic Dermatitis in Childhood (REACH); atopic dermatitis; diagnostic criteria; epidemiological survey; questionnaire.
© 2016 Japanese Dermatological Association.