特应性皮炎常在儿童期起病,其中45%的患者6个月前发病,70%-85%的患者5岁前发病。[1]Spergel JM, Paller AS. Atopic dermatitis and the atopic march. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2003;112:118-127.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14657842?tool=bestpractice.com[2]Williams H. Atopic Dermatitis. N Engl J Med. 2005;352:2314-2324.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15930422?tool=bestpractice.com[3]Hurwitz S, Paller AS, Mancini J. Hurwitz clinical pediatric dermatology: a textbook of skin disorders of childhood and adolescence. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA; Edinburgh: Elsevier Saunders, 2006.60%-70%的患者15岁前可缓解,虽然之后可能复发[1]Spergel JM, Paller AS. Atopic dermatitis and the atopic march. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2003;112:118-127.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14657842?tool=bestpractice.com[2]Williams H. Atopic Dermatitis. N Engl J Med. 2005;352:2314-2324.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15930422?tool=bestpractice.com[4]Schmitt J, Apfelbacher CJ, Flohr C. Eczema. BMJ Clinical Evidence, 2011.特应性皮炎的男女发病率均等。一般来说,关于特应性皮炎的报告中只有不足60%提供了关于种族或民族的详细信息。在有关种族或民族的研究中显示,62.1%为白种人,18.0%为黑种人,6.9%为亚洲人,2.0%为西班牙人。[5]Hirano SA, Murray SB, Harvey VM. Reporting, representation, and subgroup analysis of race and ethnicity in published clinical trials of atopic dermatitis in the United States between 2000 and 2009. Pediatr Dermatol. 2012;29:749-755.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23017105?tool=bestpractice.com
在美国儿童中特应性皮炎的发病率为10%-20%,在成人中发病率为1%-3%。[6]Leung D, Boguniewicz M, Howell MD, et al. New insights into atopic dermatitis. The J Clin Invest. 2004;113:651-656.http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=14991059http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14991059?tool=bestpractice.com这一发病率明显高于过去几十年所报道的,同时可反映出其他工业化国家的发病情况。[3]Hurwitz S, Paller AS, Mancini J. Hurwitz clinical pediatric dermatology: a textbook of skin disorders of childhood and adolescence. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA; Edinburgh: Elsevier Saunders, 2006.欧洲和日本的发病率预计分别可达15%和24%。[1]Spergel JM, Paller AS. Atopic dermatitis and the atopic march. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2003;112:118-127.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14657842?tool=bestpractice.com此外,特应性皮炎通常发生在城市地区和更小的家庭中,这证明了环境在疾病的发展中起着重要作用。在不发达国家,儿童常暴露于不卫生的环境中,其特应性皮炎的患病率较低[7]Flohr C, Yeo L. Atopic dermatitis and the hygiene hypothesis revisited. Curr Probl Dermatol. 2011;41:1-34.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21576944?tool=bestpractice.com第二次世界大战结束以来,住房变得不那么拥挤,城市生活更“干净”,特应性皮炎的发病率增加了。