Barriers to Accurate Diagnosis of Infantile Atopic Dermatitis: Insights From a Survey of Pediatricians

Abstract

Accurate diagnosis is essential for timely intervention in atopic dermatitis (AD), yet delays in diagnosis remain common. To better understand current clinical practices regarding infantile AD, a questionnaire survey was conducted among Japanese pediatricians working at medical institutions with 19 or fewer beds. Respondents who provided informed consent completed an online questionnaire that included items on screening practices, physician background, understanding of diagnostic and treatment practices, and recognition of key clinical issues. In total, 238 valid responses were analyzed. Most respondents indicated that they were non-allergists (85.7% of responses), aged 50 years or older (68.9% of responses) and reported high clinical experience in treating infantile eczema. Only 44.1% of respondents correctly recognized that AD is a condition within the collective term of infantile eczema. Almost all (92.0%) respondents correctly agreed that early intervention was effective for infantile AD and most recognized that AD treatment is prolonged, that AD induces other allergic diseases, and that AD is unlikely to resolve spontaneously in most cases. Understanding of the primary nature of AD was poor with 62.6% of respondents either incorrectly stating that AD is caused by other allergic diseases or that they did not know. The mean (SD) minimum age of AD diagnosis was 7.4 (4.81) months (median, 6.0 months) and 23.9% of physicians diagnosed AD after 1 year of age. Only 16.4% of respondents correctly identified a case of infantile AD and only 19.3% of respondents correctly selected the most appropriate treatment for a known case of infantile AD. Reluctance to inform parents/caregivers of an AD diagnosis was high and mostly due to anticipation of parental shock. Certain pediatricians in Japan have misunderstandings about infantile AD. Further awareness of infantile AD is necessary to ensure early diagnosis and intervention as well as management aligned with guideline recommendations.