Getting to know

Atopic dermatitis also called atopic eczema is a skin condition occurring in a genetically predisposed subject. This should not be confused with contact eczema (whose causes are external).

The symptoms vary as a function of age. 
Between 3 months and 2 years,it generally presents as erythema with eruption of papulae, and is occasionally associated with vesicles. The skin may start to weep and become scabby. Typically, the lesions are located on the forehead, the cheeks and may extend to the scalp and chin, as well as the extensor side of the limbs. It is associated with intense pruritis that provokes sleep disorders and sometimes agitation (or hyperactivity) in the child. The evolution is unpredictable and severe attacks and remissions may alternate. 

Between 4 and 10 years, eczema can become chronic. In its classic form, it consists of chronic eczema with red, squamous («peeling» appearance of the skin), very itchy patches that may be generalised but predominate or are mainly located behind the knees, the folds of the elbows, the face and neck. It is almost always associated with a dry skin condition called xerosis.