How should severe and chronic atopic dermatitis in children be managed

: Severe atopic dermatitis in children is rare. When prescribing exceptional treatments (because of failure with classical drugs such as topical corticosteroids or topical immunosuppressors), it is important to ensure that the child is not suffering from an atopic dermatitis that has not been handled correctly. This assessment may require short hospitalisation. When the severity and rebellious nature of the atopic dermatitis with regard to routine treatment has been confirmed, exceptional treatment is envisaged. Currently, the treatment that is mastered in children remains cyclosporine, although marketing authorisation has not been granted in this indication. The side effects and notably nephrotoxicity justify the careful prescription of this drug with regular controls, and the opinion of a paediatric nephrologist. Other immunosuppressive treatments such as azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil or even interferon gamma have rarely been studied in children, nor particularly in adults, and usually only in open studies. Their safe use in children, in the indication of severe atopic dermatitis obviously warrants comparative studies in large cohorts. Phototherapy should not be banned, even in this paediatric population, but modalities should be further defined, taking into account the real practical possibilities of this type of treatment, depending on the patients' age, and with long-term monitoring. Antileucotrienes have not yet sufficiently demonstrated their efficacy. In such severe forms, ideally, there should be the possibility of defining the predictable factors of efficacy and tolerance in each patient (biologically or with in vitro tests) that would optimise the use of these exceptional treatments, or even new molecules, in well targeted indications. The golden rule remains: patience, explanation, education, observation, monitoring and availability.