Treatment strategies and compliance for the adult patient with atopic eczema.

Adult atopic eczema is often chronic and with moderate to severe disease activity commonly complicated with Staphylococcus aureus infection. The ‘gold standard’ therapy is emollients in combination with topical steroids whose potency depends on the location of the eczema. A combination of a steroid and an antibiotic has shown its efficacy in infected eczema. If long-term control is needed the calcineurin inhibitors, pimecrolimus and tacrolimus, have shown their efficacy. Another option is the use of UV light, where narrowband UVB seems most beneficial. Only rarely is systemic immunosuppressive treatment necessary. It is important to discuss treatment strategies with the patients to secure long-term control of the eczema.