Blood and skin tests

While the medical history is of paramount importance, additional tests can help support the diagnosis of atopic dermatitis or identify other conditions that may be causing symptoms instead. Some of these tests are:

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• Blood tests: These require a small blood sample, typically drawn through a needle in the arm. One such test looks for high levels of eosinophils, cells in the blood that are part of an immune reaction. Another looks for high levels of a molecule called IgE antibody. Blood levels of these are elevated in people with atopic diseases, including dermatitis. Even more useful are allergen-specific IgE tests, which measure levels of different subtypes of the antibody, each of which is associated with a different allergen.
• Skin biopsy: In this procedure, which is used to rule out other skin diseases, such as a low-grade skin cancer or psoriasis, a doctor removes one or more pinhead-sized patches of skin. A pathologist then examines the skin sample under a microscope.
• Patch testing: In this test, small patches covered with a substance that might be irritating the patient are placed on the skin. It can rule out a disease like contact dermatitis, in which a patient reacts to substances like lanolin in leather.