Anti-immunoglobulin e in the treatment of refractory atopic dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common diagnosis seen in both children and adults, and it is often the first manifestation of atopic disease. Research has shown a strong correlation between serum IgE levels, the severity of atopic dermatitis, and co-existing asthma and/or allergic rhinitis. Omalizumab (Xolair, East Hanover, NJ; Genentech, South San Francisco, CA) is a monoclonal antibody to human IgE and is currently Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for the treatment of asthma. We present 3 patients with severe, treatment resistant atopic dermatitis whose cutaneous symptoms significantly improved by treatment with omalizumab.