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Giornale Italiano di Dermatologia e Venereologia 2015 June;150(3):321-5

Copyright © 2015 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Antibiotic therapy in the management of atopic dermatitis

Belloni Fortina A. ¹, Neri L. ^{2, 3} ✉

¹ Unit of Pediatric Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy; ² Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e di Comunità, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italia; ³ Clinica del Lavoro Luigi Devoto, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Italia

Atopic dermatitis (AD), also known as atopic eczema, is a syndrome characterized by a chronic eczematous dermatitis, with associated pruritus, characteristic age-specific morphology and distribution of lesions and recurrent nature. Secondary infections in patients with AD are very common and difficult to treat. S. aureus colonizes almost all eczematous lesions in atopic patients and releases several super-antigens and exotoxins (i.e., toxic shock syndrome toxin-1, enterotoxins A-D, etc.), which sustain inflammatory reactions and promote tachyphylaxis. The topical antibiotics most commonly prescribed for mild/moderate secondary infections are gentamicin, fusidic acid and mupirocine. This article reviews existing therapeutic options and provides guidance for the management of secondary skin infection among patients with AD.