We aimed to evaluate the frequency and characteristics of minor clinical manifestations of atopic dermatitis (AD) in Korean children to aid the diagnosis and treatment of AD.

From April 2007 to December 2007, we enrolled 106 children (aged 1 month [infants] to 15 years) diagnosed with AD at the Pediatric Allergy Respiratory Center in Soonchunhyang University Hospital. Clinical manifestations were examined and laboratory findings (total and specific immunoglobulin E [IgE] levels and peripheral blood eosinophil count) were analyzed and compared.

Minor symptoms, in order of frequency, included xerosis (78.3%), aggravation due to environmental or emotional stress (43.4%), lichenification (35.8%), orbital darkening (34.0%), periauricular eczema (33.0%), and cutaneous infection (31.1%). Older children (≥2 years) showed more orbital darkening ( P =0.01), horizontal crease ( P =0.01), and lichenification ( P =0.001) than infants. Patients with severe AD (scoring atopic dermatitis [SCORAD] score, ≥40) showed higher frequencies of xerosis ( P =0.04), cutaneous infection ( P =0.03), ichthyosis ( P =0.18), keratosis pilaris ( P =0.02), pityriasis alba ( P =0.07), recurrent conjunctivitis ( P =0.02), orbital darkening ( P =0.001), aggravation due to environmental or emotional stress ( P =0.05), facial eczema ( P =0.001), lichenification ( P =0.001), and hand/foot eczema ( P =0.04) than those with mild-to-moderate AD. Children with atopic eczema showed more facial eczema ( P =0.01) and lichenification ( P =0.04) than those with non-atopic eczema.

The clinical manifestations of AD were similar to those established by Hanifin and Rajka. However, we need to develop our own diagnostic criteria for AD, because the frequencies shown by our subjects differed from those observed in other countries.