Early diagnosis of infantile seborrhoeic dermatitis and atopic dermatitis--total and specific IgE levels.

Total and antigen-specific IgE levels using the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) were measured in a prospective study of thirty-seven infants with dermatitis of early infancy, with the aim of distinguishing between atopic and infantile seborrhoeic dermatitis at an earlier age than is usually possible on clinical grounds. The results were correlated with the clinical diagnoses made after 1-2 years close follow-up. They showed that a RAST screen to egg white and to milk antibodies, and to a lesser extent total IgE levels, are of value in diagnosing atopic dermatitis at an early age and distinguishing this from infantile seborrhoeic dermatitis.