BACKGROUND: Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) display a defective skin barrier, consequently they may experience inflammatory flares with different exposures, including masks. Actually, beside scattering case reports, no study focused on the possible AD flaring due to masks. METHODS: In this multicenter prospective study AD patients with facial manifestation were followed with teledermatology and evaluated by two board-certified dermatologists at the baseline (T0) and after 1 month (T1) in which patients started to wear masks >6 hours per day. Demographics and clinical parameters, included and not limited to Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), were carefully collected and analyzed. RESULTS: We enrolled 57 AD patients (M/F 28/29, 33.91±12.26 years old) that wore surgical masks (38 [66.7%]), community masks (11 [19.3%] and N95 (8 [14.0%]). Both DLQI and EASI increase during the time period (P<0.0001). DLQI variation was not influenced by age, BMI, and gender, mask type used and AD therapy (P=0.99), whilst EASI variation was significantly influenced by BMI, gender, and therapy (P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Mask wearing may prove detrimental to patients with atopic eczema and the same may not necessarily be the case for asthma patients.

Facial atopic dermatitis may be exacerbate by masks : Insights from a multicenter, teledermatology, prospective study during COVID-19 pandemic / G. Damiani, R. Finelli, K. Kridin, A. Pacifico, N.L. Bragazzi, P. Malagoli, G. Fabbrocini, M. Annunziata, A. Grada, P. Santus, P. Savoia, L.C. Gironi, A. Buja, D. Linder, P.D. Pigatto. - In: ITALIAN JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY AND VENEREOLOGY. - ISSN 2784-8671. - 157:6(2022 Dec), pp. 505-509. [10.23736/S2784-8671.22.07386-8]

Facial atopic dermatitis may be exacerbate by masks : Insights from a multicenter, teledermatology, prospective study during COVID-19 pandemic

G. Damiani
Primo
;
P. Santus;P.D. Pigatto
2022

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) display a defective skin barrier, consequently they may experience inflammatory flares with different exposures, including masks. Actually, beside scattering case reports, no study focused on the possible AD flaring due to masks. METHODS: In this multicenter prospective study AD patients with facial manifestation were followed with teledermatology and evaluated by two board-certified dermatologists at the baseline (T0) and after 1 month (T1) in which patients started to wear masks >6 hours per day. Demographics and clinical parameters, included and not limited to Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), were carefully collected and analyzed. RESULTS: We enrolled 57 AD patients (M/F 28/29, 33.91±12.26 years old) that wore surgical masks (38 [66.7%]), community masks (11 [19.3%] and N95 (8 [14.0%]). Both DLQI and EASI increase during the time period (P<0.0001). DLQI variation was not influenced by age, BMI, and gender, mask type used and AD therapy (P=0.99), whilst EASI variation was significantly influenced by BMI, gender, and therapy (P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Mask wearing may prove detrimental to patients with atopic eczema and the same may not necessarily be the case for asthma patients.
dermatitis, atopic; masks; N95 respirators; COVID-19
Settore MED/09 - Medicina Interna
Settore MED/35 - Malattie Cutanee e Veneree
dic-2022
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/946987
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