Characteristics, mechanism, and management of pain in atopic dermatitis: A literature review

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, pruritic, immune‐mediated inflammatory disease. Developments in basic science and clinical research have increased our understanding of AD. Although pain as a symptom of AD is underemphasized in previous studies, multiple researchers address pain as a frequent burden of AD. However, the exact role of pain in AD is not fully understood. AIMS: Our review aimed to summarize the current evidence focusing on characteristics, mechanism, and management of pain in AD. MATERIALS & METHODS: We conducted a thorough literature review in the PubMed database to figure out different aspects discussing pain in AD, including pain symptoms, burden, the relationship between pain and itch, mechanism, and pain management in AD. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: AD patients affected by skin pain vary from 42.7%‐92.2% with remarkable intensity and heavy burden. Skin pain and itch interacted both in symptoms and mechanisms. Atopic skin with the impaired barrier, neurogenic inflammation mediators, peripheral and central sensitization of pain may possibly explain pain mechanism in AD. Future research is needed to clarify the commonality and disparity of pain and itch in AD in order to seek efficacious medications and treatment.