OBJECTIVES: Atopic Dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, for which epidemiologic studies reported variable prevalence across countries. In the context of lack of AD’s epidemiology published data for Portugal, our aim was to estimate the number of adult AD patients treated by specialists (dermatologists or allergists) in Portugal.

METHODS: A physician primary market research study was conducted through computer assisted web interviewing. A total of 59 physicians were screened to reach the target sample of 50 physicians who responded to the complete survey, including 40 dermatologists and 10 allergists. Results are based on physicians’ reported number of AD patients within the past 12 months. Two alternative approaches were used to more accurately quantify AD patients per physician. Furthermore, 9 in-depth interviews with dermatologists and allergists were conducted to validate the surveys’ outcomes.

RESULTS: It is estimated that between 0.7% to 1.6% of adult population was treated for AD by dermatologists or allergists in 2017. Of these, 40%-45% (approximately 34.000 patients) were classified as having moderate to severe disease by their physicians. Ninety-one percent of patients are estimated to have between 18 and 65 years-old. Overall, 58% of surveyed physicians stated using scales to classify patients’ AD severity at least occasionally, with SCORAD being used by 66% and EASI by 28% of these. Concretely, only 4% of surveyed physicians stated always using a scale, 12% stated using it frequently, and 42% stated using it only occasionally. Regarding growth trends, 50% of physicians report a slight increase in their AD patients in the past 3 years, and 18% report a significant increase.

CONCLUSIONS: This study provides an estimate of 78.300 adult AD patients seen by a specialist in Portugal, of which 33.900 have moderate to severe AD. Additionally, it shows physicians’ perception of AD evolution, enabling a better comprehension of the disease in Portugal.