Multidisciplinary Approaches to the Management of Atopic Dermatitis

Panelists discuss the pathophysiology of atopic dermatitis (AD), focusing on the role of type 2 inflammation, and explore how AD can serve as an entry point to the atopic march in children, leading to other allergic diseases such as food allergies, asthma, and allergic rhinitis, including early indicators that may predict future comorbidities.

Panelists discuss the diagnostic criteria for atopic dermatitis (AD), highlighting challenges in diagnosis due to the disease’s heterogeneity across factors like age, skin color, and other variables, and explore how this complexity can lead to misdiagnosis or late diagnosis; they also share tips for diagnosing AD, determining disease severity, and incorporating patient-reported outcomes into severity assessments, while examining how advances in treatment and understanding have shaped current perspectives on AD severity.

Panelists discuss the patient journey for patients with pediatric atopic dermatitis (AD) and their caregivers, from initial presentation through to diagnosis, emphasizing the challenges and emotional aspects that families experience throughout the process.

Panelists discuss the diagnosis and referral process for patients with pediatric atopic dermatitis (AD) from both the dermatologist and allergy perspectives, including when a child should be referred to a dermatologist and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to care for optimizing AD management, with insights on the roles each team member plays in patient care.

Panelists discuss the goals of treating atopic dermatitis, focusing on symptom control and quality of life, with treatment differing for children and adults, and emphasize using assessment tools such as Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI)-75/90, Investigator Global Assessment (IGA), and itch scores alongside patient-reported outcomes to guide decisions while also considering disease severity and the impact of atopic comorbidities in treatment approaches.

Panelists discuss the 2023 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology/ American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI/ACAAI) Joint Task Force guidelines, highlighting treatment options with strong recommendations and high certainty of evidence, including biologics/monoclonal antibodies (dupilumab, tralokinumab, lebrikizumab) and Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors (abrocitinib, baricitinib, upadacitinib) for atopic dermatitis management.

Panelists discuss the role of newer agents, including biologics/monoclonal antibodies (dupilumab, tralokinumab, lebrikizumab) and Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors (abrocitinib, baricitinib, upadacitinib), in the treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis, emphasizing their effectiveness in improving outcomes for patients who do not have adequate control with conventional therapies.

Panelists discuss managing comorbidities and mitigating atopic march in adolescent and adult patients, focusing on the importance of early intervention and coordinated care to prevent the progression of atopic diseases and improve long-term health outcomes.