Abstract
In recent decades, the prevalence of atopic dermatitis has a demonstrably upward trend. Therefore, there is an increase in the number of patients with this disease in the offices of dermatologists, allergists and general practitioners.
Dermatitis atopica, eczema atopicum, endogenous eczema, neurodermitis disseminata, neurodermitis diffusa, neurodermitis constitutionalis, neurodermitis atopica, neurodermitis, eczema endogenes, prurigo Besnier, these are all synonyms for one disease and their enumeration suggests different views The term atopic dermatitis (hereinafter AD) is now mainly used in world literature, which well describes the variability of cutaneous manifestations of the disease, whose clinical picture and etiopathogenesis do not exactly match the definition of eczema. However, for some forms and complications of AD, we still keep the term atopic eczema.
Also in the educational materials for the sick and in conversations with patients and parents of atopic children, we rather choose the word eczema, which sounds more understandable to the layman and better imagines the changes that take place in the skin. AD is defined as a severely itchy chronic or recurrent non-infectious inflammatory skin disease, characterized by variability in morphology and course, usually beginning in infancy or childhood, often associated with familial rhinitis, bronchial asthma, and AD.
We derive the concept of atopy from the Greek atopos (strange, foreign). The term atopic well describes an abnormal, atypical and often unexpected response of the skin and mucous membranes to various external and internal provocative factors.