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Summary Background There has been considerable interest in traditional Chinese herbal medicine (TCHM) as a treatment for atopic dermatitis (AD). A twice-daily concoction of an ancestral formula containing five herbs has been found to be beneficial in an open study. Objectives To assess the efficacy and tolerability of the concoction in children with AD. Methods Following a 2-week run-in period, children with long-standing moderate-to-severe AD were randomized to receive a 12-week treatment with twice-daily dosing of three capsules of either TCHM or placebo. The SCORing of Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) score, Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI), allergic rhinitis score, and requirement for topical corticosteroid and oral antihistamine were assessed before and at weeks 4, 8, 12 and 16 after treatment. Adverse events, tolerability, haematological and biochemical parameters were monitored during the study. Results Eighty-five children with AD were recruited. Over 12 weeks, the mean SCORAD score fell from 58·3 to 49·7 in the TCHM group (n = 42; P = 0·003) and from 56·9 to 46·9 in the placebo group (n = 43; P = 0·001). However, there was no significant difference in the scores at the corresponding time points between the two groups. The CDLQI in TCHM-treated patients was significantly improved compared with patients receiving placebo at the end of the 3-month treatment and 4 weeks after stopping therapy (P = 0·008 and 0·059, respectively). The total amount of topical corticosteroid used was also significantly reduced by one-third in the TCHM group (P = 0·024). No serious adverse effects were observed between the groups. Conclusions The TCHM concoction is efficacious in improving quality of life and reducing topical corticosteroid use in children with moderate-to-severe AD. The formulation was palatable and well tolerated.

We investigated if a correlation exists between aeroallergen sensitization and the severity of eczema. Data on aeroallergen response to skin-prick testing (SPT) and disease severity of children with eczema (n = 119) were evaluated. Atopy, as defined by at least one positive response to aeroallergen skin prick testing, was found in > 90% of eczema patients. House dust mite was the most commonly sensitized aeroallergen, followed by cat fur. Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae sensitization were associated with eczema severity (present in 67% of the mild and 97% of the severe group; P = 0.001). However, there was no association between eczema severity and higher strengths of SPT response (defined as SPT > 1+ to dust mites or dust). Atopy to moulds, Bermuda grass, cockroach, cat and dog was less prevalent and was not associated with eczema severity. It is sensible to advise parents on specific avoidance strategies only in severely affected children who have a definitive history of eczema exacerbation by specific aeroallergens and who are not responsive to conventional treatment.

Asthma is a common atopic disease associated with atopic dermatitis (AD) and allergic rhinitis (AR). Exhaled nitric oxide level (eNO) has been found to be an interesting noninvasive marker of disease severity in children with asthma. However, it is uncertain if eNO may be confounded by any coexisting AD or AR. In this study, eNO in Chinese children with moderate-to-severe AD and no asthma symptoms (n = 53) was measured online by a chemiluminescence analyzer. Severity of AD was assessed using the objective SCORing-Atopic-Dermatitis score and coexisting allergic rhinitis with the Allergic-Rhinitis-Score (ARS). Patients with active symptoms of asthma or inhaled/intranasal corticosteroids were excluded. There was no difference in eNO between genders and no correlation between eNO and AD severity regardless of ARS or bronchial reactivity status. ENO appears to be a noninvasive marker whose level is independent of the two atopic diseases of AD and AR in children old enough to perform exhalation maneuver.

Use of a wet wrap for short-term relief of itch in children with severe atopic dermatitis has been advocated but objective determination of its efficacy has been difficult and many issues associated with its use are yet to be defined. We tested a new garment for the wet-wrap procedure in six patients with atopic dermatitis and objectively determined whether a 3-day usage could indeed relieve the distressing symptom of itch using a wrist motion monitor. The garments were effective in the short-term improvement of itching, severity of atopic dermatitis and quality of life in these children. Many issues associated with its use were identified. Clear instructions and individualized regimes (such as the choice of emollient, bathing ointment and topical corticosteroid) are essential for optimal outcome.

Quality of life (QOL) and clinical severity scores are important parameters in the evaluation of distress experienced by children with atopic dermatitis (AD). The SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCOARD) is a widely used clinical score for assessing AD symptomatology over the preceding 3 days and the Nottingham Eczema Severity Score (NESS) is another score useful for AD symptoms over the preceding 12 months.We evaluated if these parameters are correlated with QOL in children with AD.We assessed quality of life, clinical scores, total IgE and eosinophil count in peripheral blood in AD patients at our paediatric dermatology clinic over a 14-month period.Eighty AD patients (42 males and 38 females; mean [SD] age 11.7 [3.7] years) were recruited. The median (interquartile range, IQR) IgE, eosinophil counts and eosinophil percentage were 2988 (1069-7847) kIU/L; 0.6 (0.4-0.9) x 10(-9)/L; and 9 (6-12)%, respectively. Quality of life as measured with CDLQI (The Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index) generally did not correlate well with both the acute and chronic AD severity scores (objective SCORAD and total CDQLI, rho = 0.17, p0.05; total NESS and total CDQLI, rho = 0.29, p0.05). Factor analysis further confirmed that the objective indicators (serum total IgE, eosinophil count and objective SCORAD), self-reported scores (NESS and subjective SCORAD) and CDLQI were separate dimensions in the assessment of AD in children.Quality of life, disease severity scores and laboratory atopic markers represent different domains in AD assessment. They do not necessarily correlate well with each other and all three aspects must be individually evaluated to assess the well-being of these patients.

Issues on empirical dietary restriction or supplementation are important but inadequately studied in children with atopic eczema (AE). The dietary habits of children with AE followed at a paediatric dermatology clinic (n = 179) were compared with those without eczema (n = 78). The mothers of 53% of the patients with or without eczema did not breastfeed their children. Common food items avoided by parents whose children have moderate-to-severe AE included fish or seafood [64% vs. 32% of controls, odds ratio (OR) 3.84, 95% CI 2.12-6.95], beef (42% vs. 17%; OR = 3.57, 95% CI 1.79-7.11), eggs (34% vs. 14%; OR = 3.05, 95% CI 1.46-6.34) and cows' milk (18% vs. 4%; OR = 5.56, 95% CI 1.61-19.12); whereas their avoidance was less frequent in children with noneczematous diseases. The avoidance of these foods were often based on belief, but 66% of all AE patients who had avoided any of the above foods reported previous experience of eczema exacerbation by these items. Patients with moderate-to-severe AE were more likely to have consumed 'bird's nest' soup and traditional Chinese medicines. It is important to evaluate whether the AE patients are genuinely 'allergic' to some of these food items. Management is suboptimal if children with food allergy and severe disease continue to consume the culprit food. Conversely, avoidance of common foods in children without food allergy could result in food faddism or malnutrition.