What is the atopic triad?
Fact-based information is a core tenant of Zestfull. To ensure that we are all talking about the same thing, we have put together an explanation on atopy and atopic triad in the context of allergic disease. We may use these terms periodically in the content we publish on Zestfull.
The atopic triad (sometimes known as the atopic dermatitis triad) is defined by Medical News Today as “the tendency of asthma, eczema and allergies to occur together.”
A triad is a group of three things that are closely related to each other, while atopy is defined by Allergy Insider as “the genetic disposition to develop allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis, asthma and atopic dermatitis.” The word atopy was coined in 1923 by the American allergists A. F. Coca and R. A. Cooke, derived from the Greek word ‘atopia’ meaning different or out of place. It was originally proposed as a term to cover asthma and allergic rhinitis but in 1933 atopic dermatitis (also known as eczema) was added to the group because it so commonly occurred with asthma and allergic rhinitis. (Spergel et al, 2003)
Together, the three conditions form the atopic triad, with eczema often appearing in an individual before the symptoms of asthma and allergic rhinitis start to develop.