"Atopic Dermatitis Patients Face Higher Risk of Infectious Skin Diseases"

Atopic Dermatitis Patients Face Higher Risk of Skin Infections
Molluscum Contagiosum 5.3 Times More Likely,
Impetigo 2.9 Times, Chickenpox 2.3 Times More Likely
Large-Scale Study of 70,000 Patients by Professors JiHyun Lee and Juhee Han at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital

Professors JiHyun Lee (left) and JuHee Han, Department of Dermatology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University.

[Asia Economy, reporter Lee Gwanjoo] A study has found that patients with atopic dermatitis, a chronic skin disease, are at a higher risk of developing skin infections. In particular, they are significantly more likely to develop molluscum contagiosum, commonly known as water warts, highlighting the need for caution.

A research team led by Professors JiHyun Lee and Juhee Han from the Department of Dermatology at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University, in collaboration with researchers Seokjun Lee and Jaewoong Yoon from the School of Business Administration at Kwangwoon University, announced on the 12th that they analyzed the association between atopic dermatitis and skin infections in real clinical settings using sequential pattern mining (SPM).

The team analyzed National Health Insurance data from 2010 to 2013 using SPM. They identified comorbid skin infections in 70,205 patients with atopic dermatitis and determined the onset timing of these skin infections.

The analysis showed that, compared to a healthy control group, patients with atopic dermatitis had a higher risk of infection: 5.273 times for molluscum contagiosum (water warts), 2.852 times for impetigo, 2.251 times for chickenpox, 1.748 times for otitis media, 1.292 times for herpetic eczema (herpetic dermatitis), and 1.105 times for viral warts.

Molluscum contagiosum associated with atopic dermatitis had the highest prevalence rate at 1.06%. The infection occurred, on average, 77.42 days after the diagnosis of atopic dermatitis, making it the earliest onset among the observed skin infections.

Professor Han stated, "This study suggests that atopic dermatitis is associated with an increased risk of skin infections. In particular, there is a strong association with impetigo, molluscum contagiosum, and otitis media, so caution is needed. Appropriate prevention and management of skin infections may help prevent the worsening of atopic dermatitis."

Professor Lee emphasized, "Atopic dermatitis is a chronic disease that tends to relapse when treatment is discontinued after improvement. Due to weakened skin barrier function, patients are more prone to skin infections than healthy individuals. It is important for patients to receive treatment suitable for their condition from a specialist, and, above all, to receive continuous care to prevent the worsening of atopic dermatitis."

The results of this study were published in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Medicine.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.