Role of some infectious agents in atopic dermatitis.

Certain infections such as Kaposi's herpetic eruption, impetigo, recurrent cutaneous herpes simplex and warts are more frequent in subjects with atopic dermatitis. It is likely that the continuous alterations of the skin are more important than immunological factors in increasing the frequency of some infections in subjects with atopic dermatitis. Moreover, these infections do not seem to affect significantly the clinical course of atopic dermatitis.