Dilemmas of nomenclature: Web search analysis reveals European preferences in atopic skin diseases

To the editor, Atopic dermatitis (AD) or atopic eczema (AE) is a complex chronic inflammatory skin disease with a high prevalence and disease burden. 1 The nomenclature for this condition has long been the subject of controversial debate within the medical community and even among global experts. 2,3 However, the terminology used not only affects experts, daily clinical practice, and research but especially patients and the general public in terms of their understanding and access to disease-related information. 2–5 Given the potential of crowdsourced internet data, 6 this study aimed to investigate the use of ‘atopic dermatitis’, ‘atopic eczema’, and their lay terms in internet searches and the content of these searches across 21 European countries in their respective main language. SEE PDF] Consistent with previous research, both a review study and a global crowdsourced approach found that the term AD was used more frequently than AE. 3,4 However, country-specific lay terms received almost twice as many web searches and were favoured in most countries, suggesting the general population may not be interested in the academic debate about calling the disease AD or AE, but rather seeking general disease-related information as the diagnosis may not yet be known. 4 This is supported by less differentiated search content and a higher number of searches for other diseases. [...]the commonly used lay term ‘eczema’ lacks precision and can encompass other skin conditions such as seborrhoeic or nummular eczema, which present with eczematous lesions. 2,3 In addition, the varying topics and number of searches in different European countries may reflect country-specific needs regarding AD in the population and should be considered when disseminating reliable and accurate online health information. 6 Furthermore, the differences in content between, AD, AE and their lay terms may indicate confusion and the perception of different diseases in the population, which should be addressed in patient communication. 3 The study highlights the preference for lay terms followed by AD and AE in Europe when searching for disease-related information online.