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Atopic dermatitis associated with ocular disease risk

Adults with atopic dermatitis had a significantly higher risk of developing conjunctivitis, keratitis and keratoconus compared with the general population, according to recently published study results in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Researchers in Denmark used nationwide registries of all Danish adults at least 18 years of age on Jan. 1, 1997 to determine adults with atopic dermatitis (AD). Controls and patients were followed through Dec. 31, 2012, death, migration or occurrence of an endpoint.

Diagnosis of conjunctivitis, keratitis, keratoconus, cataract and glaucoma, as well as a claimed prescription for ocular anti-infective agents, ocular anti-infective agents, ocular anti-inflammatory agents or ocular combination products were primary endpoints.

There were 5,766 adults (mean age, 38.3 years; 67.6% women) categorized with mild AD and 4,272 patients (mean age, 42.8 years; 60% women) with severe AD. Twelve percent of the mild AD population and 18.9% in the severe AD cohort had claims of at least one prescription of anti-inflammatory ocular agent.

Conjunctivitis had a hazard ratio of 1.48 (95% CI, 1.15-1.90) for mild AD and 1.95 (95% CI, 1.51-2.51) for the severe AD cohort, according to adjusted analysis.

Keratitis had an HR of 1.66 (95% CI, 1.15-2.40) for mild AD and 3.17 (95% CI, 2.31-4.35) for the severe AD cohort. Keratoconus had an HR of 10.01 (95% CI, 5.02-19.96) for the severe AD cohort.

For individuals younger than 50 years, cataract was associated with mild AD (OR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.03-2.01) and severe AD (OR = 1.81; 95% CI, 1.29-2.54), whereas no difference was found for cataract in those individuals older than 50 years, according to stratification by age.

“To our knowledge, we have conducted the hitherto largest study of ocular disorders in adults with AD,” the researchers wrote. “Keratitis, conjunctivitis, and keratoconus, as well as cataract in patients younger than 50 occurred more frequently in patients with AD and in a disease severity-dependent manner.”  – by Bruce Thiel

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.