Introduction:

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, inflammatory and pruritic dermatosis of high prevalence, especially in childhood, constituting a relevant problem for public health. Several factors are associated with an increased risk for atopic dermatitis: genetic, psychological, infec-tious, food, environmental, among others, and atopic dermatitis may be associated with other manifestations of atopy, such as asthma and rhinitis. This study aimed to determine the epidemiological profile and the prevalence of personal and family history of allergy in children with atopic dermatitis attended at a reference service, comparing it to the existing literature.

Methods:

Hospital-based, cross-sectional and descriptive study, involving children of both genders under 18 years old with a clinical diagnosis of atopic dermatitis (Hanifin and Rajka criteria) attended at the Pediatric Dermatology Outpatient Clinic of the Hospital Municipal Universitário de Taubaté (H.MUT), SP - Brazil, from October 2018 to April 2019. Epidemiological data and data related to personal and family history of allergies were collected from medical records. Microsoft Excel 2019 was used for data analysis and compilation.

Results:

Of the 440 consultations carried out in the period, 35 (7.9%) were for atopic dermatitis, 23 females (65.7%), 15 phototype IV (42.9%) with mean age 7.7 years (standard deviation=4.3), with disease duration from 2 months to 14 years (mean 5.3 years - standard deviation=4.3). Thirty-one patients (88.6%) manifested the condition up to the fifth year of life. Personal history of allergies was present in 77.1% (27 individuals), with a predominance of allergic rhinitis and in older age groups. Positive family history in 62.9% (22 individuals).

Conclusion:

Pioneer study in the region; it allowed the determination of the epidemiological profile of patients with atopic dermatitis at the Pediatric Dermatology Clinic of the H.MUT, revealing an early onset and higher prevalence in females and in individuals with high phototypes. In addition, it identified the prevalence of personal and family history of allergy in these patients, data consistent with the literature.

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