Prevalence and Pattern of Atopic Dermatitis among Children Aged 6 Months to 14 Years seen in General Out-Patient Clinic of Federal Medical Centre, Bida.

BACKGROUND

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, inflammatory, itchy skin condition that develops in early childhood in the majority of cases. It is typically an episodic disease of exacerbations and remissions, except for severe cases where it may be continuous. In children younger than one, the face and extensor surfaces of the hands and legs are typically involved, and in some case the trunk as well. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, pattern, and sites of atopic dermatitis among children aged 6 months to 14 years, as well as document the full blood count picture with emphasis on the eosinophil count as a correlate in predicting atopic dermatitis.

METHODS

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of 490 eligible children recruited using the systematic random sampling technique. The data collected was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences, version 22 (SPSS 22 Chicago, Illinois, USA).

RESULTS

The prevalence of AD from this study was 9.8% using the Hanifin and Rajka criteria, with the age group <5 years having the highest prevalence of 47.9% and it was more common in males than in females 64.6% and 35.4% respectively. The commonest site of affectation was the face and extensor surface (100.0%; 95.8% respectively). In terms of the severity of AD using the TIS score, majority were in the moderate category (81.3%). Mean Eosinophil count was 8.75% ±5.90. There was a statistical significant association between absence of AD and elevated absolute eosinophil count (P=0.015).

CONCLUSION

The study highlights that the prevalence of atopic dermatitis among children 6 months to 14 years based on major Hanifin and Rajka Criteria is 9.8%. Individuals with AD are unlikely to have elevated absolute eosinophil count.