The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) just released a new guideline, Diagnostic Testing in Adults with Presumed Atopic Dermatitis Refractory to Treatment. The guideline addresses a subset of adult patients who are diagnosed with atopic dermatitis that remains refractory to optimal management. The guideline’s multidisciplinary workgroup developed a good practice statement, outlined below, regarding the diagnostic workup of adults with presumed atopic dermatitis unresponsive to therapy.
The guideline also includes a table of features to consider when diagnosing patients with atopic dermatitis. The table lists features that must be present for a diagnosis or may be seen in most cases, along with associated features and exclusionary/concomitant conditions. The essential features include pruritus and acute, subacute, and chronic eczema. Important features include early age onset, atopy, and xerosis.
Good practice statement from the 2026 AAD Adults with Presumed Atopic Dermatitis Guideline:
- For Adults with suspected AD that is unresponsive to AD management, we recommend considering further workup.
View the full-text version of the guideline for the complete look at the summarized diagnostic features, the rational behind the good practice statement, and more.
Check out our other dermatology content and be sure to sign up for alerts to stay informed on the latest published guidelines and articles.