Atopic dermatitis, also known as atopic eczema, is a chronic and relapsing skin disease that usually starts in early childhood and is characterized by intense itching. Itching elicits the urge to scratch; constant itching and scratching can lead to lichenification (thickening of the skin), due to rubbing.
More specifically, there are three types of atopic dermatitis: infantile eczema, childhood eczema and adult atopic dermatitis. In infants and young children, eczema is usually located on the face and mainly on the cheeks, the hands, in the creases of the elbows, behind the knees, and on the whole torso. The lesions resemble acute dermatitis with redness and blisters or vesicles. Intense itching and scratching can tear the skin and result in an infection. In older lesions there is lichenification, i.e. the skin becomes thick, dry, and scaly.
