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. 2015 May 6;4(5):884–917. doi: 10.3390/jcm4050884

Table 2.

Diagnosis of atopic dermatitis: common mimics, overlaps, and complications and relative prevalence by age group.

Diagnosis Relative Prevalence
Infants Children Adolescents/Adults
Inflammatory Skin Conditions (See Section 2) seborrheic dermatitis common uncommon common
psoriasis less common less common common
nummular dermatitis less common common less common
contact dermatitis a common common common
dermatographism a less common common common
pityriasis alba a common common uncommon
overlap (see Section 2.7) common common common
Infections (See Section 3) impetigo a common common less common
secondary syphilis rare rare rare
molluscum dermatitis a common common less common
eczema herpeticum a uncommon uncommon rare
eczema vaccinatum a rare rare rare
eczema coxsackium a emerging emerging rare
viral exanthem common common less common
tinea (as AD mimic) uncommon uncommon uncommon
candidiasis common less common less common
Infestations (See Section 4) scabies (prevalence varies by region) may be common may be common may be common
Genetic Disorders (See Section 6) keratosis pilaris less common common not common
ichthyosis vulgaris a common common common
Immunodeficiency Disorders (See Section 7) HIV/AIDS-related skin changes (prevalence varies by region) less common less common may be common
Other (See Section 9) drug eruptions less common common common

a Frequent complication of AD.