OBJECTIVES : Developing and developed countries have both seen an increase in the prevalence of atopic dermatitis. Atopic dermatitis has a wide spectrum of symptoms which may lead to functional problems and limitations in daily activities of life. The aim of our study was to determine the epidemiological disease burden of atopic dermatitis.

METHODS : Data were derived from the financial database of the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund Administration (NHIFA), for the year 2018. Data analysed included annual patient numbers, case numbers and prevalence of care utilisation per 100.000 population according to age groups and sex. The following health insurance treatment categories were included into our study: general practice care, home care, in- and outpatient care, medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, drugs and medical aids. Patients with atopic dermatitis were identified with the following code of the International Classification of Diseases 10^th revision: L2000-L2090.

RESULTS : The highest national patient numbers were found in use of pharmaceuticals: 91,489 men, 121,805 women, in total 213,294 patients, followed by general practice care (80,881 men, 104,374 women, in total 185,255 patients), and outpatient care (16,177 men, 20,162 women, in total 36,339 patients). Based on patient numbers relating to use of pharmaceuticals, prevalence in 100,000 among men was 1,958.4 patients, among women 2,385.2, in total 2,181.3 patients. Regarding sex, in case of the use of pharmaceuticals 42.9 % were men, 57.1 % were women, while in general practice care 43.7 % were men and 56.3 % were women.

CONCLUSIONS : Prevalence of the disease was 1.22-times higher among women than among men. Increase in prevalence may be due to growing urbanisation, pollution, Western diet and obesity in developing countries.