Caracterización de manifestaciones clínicas más frecuentes en pacientes pediátricos diagnosticados con dermatitis atópica en el periodo 2025 – 2026.

Abstract

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis is a common chronic inflammatory disease in children, characterized by pruritus and eczematous lesions that vary according to age and genetic and environmental factors. Objective: To characterize the most frequent clinical manifestations in pediatric patients diagnosed with atopic dermatitis and treated at Hospital General del Norte IESS “Los Ceibos” during 2025–2026. Methods: An observational, descriptive, retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted through a review of the medical records of pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis. All eligible patients were included through census sampling. Demographic and clinical data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the chi-square or Fisher’s exact test, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: A total of 181 patients were evaluated, with a mean age of 6.75 ± 5.37 years and a slight male predominance (50.8%). The most frequent manifestations were pruritus (96.1%), xerosis (77.9%), and erythema (66.3%), with flexural folds being the most commonly affected sites (54.1%). Papules and exudation were more frequent in children younger than two years, excoriations in those aged 2–11 years, and lichenification in adolescents (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Pediatric atopic dermatitis was mainly characterized by pruritus, xerosis, and eczematous lesions whose morphology and distribution varied with age, progressing from acute and exudative forms in children younger than two years to excoriations and lichenification in older children and adolescents.