This study was performed to investigate the clinical manifestations and laboratory findings, and to see whether the severity of atopic dermatitis(AD) implies a relationship to the clinical and laboratory findings.

Our study was designed by analyzing outpatients with AD via physical examination, questionnaires and laboratory investigations such as prick test to house dust mites, bacterial cultures, total IgE, IgA, IgG, IgG₄, IgM, and peripheral eosinophil count.

1) Xerosis, ear fissuring and hyperlinear palms were related to the severity of AD(p<0.05). 2) Sweating, foods and aeroallrgen were related to the severity of AD(p<0.05). 3) The presence of family history of AD differed significantly(p<0.05) between the severe group(57.9%) & the mild group(26.3%). 4) The positivity of the prick test to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and D.farinae was found in 90.0% of respiratory group and in 30.0% of AD only(p<0.05%). 5) Serum IgE level was higher in the severe group(938.3±601.8 IU/mL) than the mild group(526.7±352.1IU/mL)(p<0.05). 6) Serum IgE level in AD patients with respiratory disease(1025.8±713.2IU/mL) was higher than AD only(403.3±273.4IU/mL)(p<0.05). 7) Peripheral eosinophil counts were higher in the severe group(509.9±389.4/mm³) than the mild group(340.5±219.4/mm³)(p<0.05).

The factors related to severity of AD were xerosis, ear fissuring, hyperlinear palms, sweating, food, aeroallergen, serum IgE and peripheral eosinophil count. The AD patients with respiratory allergic disease had higher IgE levels and higher positive rates of prick test with house dust mite.