Epidemiology and associated factors of atopic dermatitis in Malagasy children

Associations of demographics, aggravating factors, comorbidities, and treatments with atopic dermatitis severity in China: A national cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder impacting populations worldwide, although its clinical characteristics and patient demographics remain uncharacterized in China. The aim of this study was to investigate the demographics, comorbidities, aggravating factors, and treatments in AD patients across different age groups in China.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included Chinese AD patients from 205 hospitals spanning 30 provinces. Patients completed dermatologist-led surveys of general medical history, comorbidities, AD-related aggravating factors, and medications. Two-level mixed-ordered logistic regression was used to evaluate aggravating factors.

RESULTS

Overall, 16,838 respondents were included in the final analysis (age 30.9 ± 24.1 years). The proportion of severe AD was the highest in patients with AD onset at ≥60 years (26.73%). Allergic rhinitis and hypertension were the most common atopic and metabolism-related non-atopic comorbidities, respectively. AD severity was significantly associated with chronic urticaria, food allergies, and diabetes. Aggravating factors including foods, seasonal changes, and psychological factors were also linked to AD severity. The cross-sectional survey implied that severe AD may be related to the undertreatment of effective systemic or topical interventions.

CONCLUSION

To enhance the management of AD, it is crucial to consider both aggravating factors and the increased utilization of systemic immunotherapy.

REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05316805, CORNERSTONE.

Clinicoepidemiology of Skin Diseases in Children Seen at the University Hospital Center Morafeno, Toamasina, Madagascar

Introduction

The child's skin diseases are common and very diverse. Many studies concerning pediatric dermatoses have been carried out in Africa and the rest of the world. Few epidemioclinical data reflect these skin diseases in children, especially in the east coast of Madagascar. We aim to describe the pattern skin diseases among children seen at the University Hospital Center Morafeno, Toamasina, Madagascar. Patients and Methods. A retrospective study over a 3-year period from January 2017 to December 2019 was conducted in children seen in the Dermatology Department of University Hospital Center Morafeno, Toamasina, with skin diseases.

Results

During the study period, 347 children out of the 1584 new patients were retained with a sex ratio of 0.86. The mean age was 6.4 years old. The main diseases identified were skin infectious diseases (43, 23%), allergic dermatoses (24.21%), and autonomous dermatosis (15.56%).

Conclusion

Our study revealed the importance of infectious and allergic dermatoses in Toamasina. It is necessary to carry out simple preventive actions such as hygiene.

Birth Month and Prevalence of Atopic Dermatitis in Children Under 3 Years in Antananarivo, Madagascar

Background

Several studies have been done to evaluate the relationship between month of birth and atopic diseases but the results are contradictory.

Objective

We aim to evaluate the correlation between the month of birth and the prevalence of AD in Malagasy children less than 3 years.

Methods

A case-control study was conducted based on patients’ data of the department of Dermatology in the University Hospital Joseph Raseta Befelatanana (UH/JRB) Antananarivo. It included 438 children less than 3 years seen in this department between January 2010 and December 2019. For each atopic dermatitis (AD) patient, two age-and sex-matched controls without a history of AD were selected from the same period.

Results

This study included 146 AD cases and 292 non-AD controls. Our case-control study found that there is a statistically significant correlation between birth month and risk of AD in Malagasy children <3 years. Compared with people born in December, people born in April had the highest risk of AD (OR: 2.11, 95% CI 0.93–4.78), followed by people born in March (OR: 1.52, 95% CI 0.79–2,88). Asthma, allergic rhinitis and allergic conjunctivitis were significantly correlated with AD in our patients.

Conclusion

Our case-control study found that being born in April and March (dry season) may be associated with an increased risk of AD.