BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis is an acute, subacute, or chronic pruritic dermatosis related to hereditary factors. However, pathogenesis and immunologic mechanism is not clear. The correlations between clinical status and abnormal immunologic findings have been widely studied. However, different and contrary results were reported according to researchers and environmental conditions. OBJECT: This study is to evaluate the relationship between immunologic findings including peripheral blood eosinophil count, IgE level, immediate skin reaction, and clinical status including severity or/and family history. METHODS: Two hundred patients with atopic dermatitis for 4 years(1994-97) were grouped according to clinical severity of skin lesions, and analysed in view of clinical and immunologic findings. Three groups were classified according to modified Rajka's and Hanifin's severity grading. RESULTS: Family history of atopy was recognized in 41.5%(83/200). A high eosinophil count in the blood and a high total serum IgE level were 46.3%(88/190), and 65%(47/72) in patients respectively. Each one tends to be higher in severe clinical status, and both were simultaneously elevated in moderate and severe patient groups. Both of eosinophil count and serum IgE level were significantly correlated in the severe patient group(r=0.284), and patients with(r=0.333) or without (r=0.314) family history. Pin prick test positivity was 70%, and MAST allergen test 53.1%. Atopic dermatitis patients showed relatively higher prevalence in A type of ABO blood groups. Immunohistochemical stains revealed that most of the infiltrated cells in atopic skin lesions were T lymphocytes. CONCLUSION: This study supports that clinical severity of atopic dermatitis was closely related to immunologic abnormalities such as elevated peripheral eosinophil count and serum IgE level, especially in patients with familial background.
Blood Group Antigens ; Coloring Agents ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Prevalence ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; T-Lymphocytes

Phakomatosis pigmentovascularis is a distinctive association of cutaneous hemangiomas and melanocytic nevi. The hemangiomas consist of extensive nevus flammeus, while the melanocytic lesions may be aberrant mongolian spots, nevus spilus, nevus of Ota, and nevus of Ito. Four types of the disorder have been recognized, each of which are subgrouped further by the abscence (type a) or presence(type b) of systemic organ involvement. We present a case of phakomatosis pigmentovascularis associated with Klippel-Trenaunay-(Parkes)-Weber sydrome, Sturge-Weber syndrome, nevi of Ota and Ito and perirenal lipomatosis in a 13-year-old girl. To the best of our knowledge, the coexistance of the perirenal lipomatosis in phakomatosis pigmentovascularis has not been reported.
Adolescent ; Female ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Lipomatosis* ; Mongolian Spot ; Neurocutaneous Syndromes* ; Nevus ; Nevus of Ota ; Nevus, Pigmented ; Port-Wine Stain ; Sturge-Weber Syndrome