Dr Jason Ezra Hawkes on Diagnostic Challenges, Strategies in Atopic Dermatitis
The lack of biomarkers to distinguish atopic dermatitis (AD) from other similar conditions such as psoriasis can impede diagnosis, but there are several clinical features that primary care providers and dermatologists should look for when screening for the disease, said Jason Ezra Hawkes, MD, MS, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist and associate professor of dermatology at the University of California Davis in Sacramento.
Discussion: "Even though we know a lot about eczema, we just really don't have consistent biomarkers of disease, which makes it challenging to make a diagnosis. Sometimes it's a little trial and error, and this is one thing that we're going to have to work on over time, especially because biopsies don't distinguish consistently between eczema and other things like psoriasis."