Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Jul;35(7):e15573.
doi: 10.1111/dth.15573. Epub 2022 May 22.

Facial dermatoses and use of protective mask during Covid-19 pandemic: A clinical and psychological evaluation in patients affected by moderate-severe atopic dermatitis under treatment with dupilumab

Mazzoletti Vanessa  1 , Esposto Elia  1 , Veronese Federica  2 , Cammarata Edoardo  3 , Airoldi Chiara  4 , Graziola Francesca  2 , Savoia Paola  1
Affiliations

Facial dermatoses and use of protective mask during Covid-19 pandemic: A clinical and psychological evaluation in patients affected by moderate-severe atopic dermatitis under treatment with dupilumab

Mazzoletti Vanessa et al. Dermatol Ther. 2022 Jul.

Abstract

During the SARS-COV-2 pandemic, using face masks became mandatory in many countries. Although evidence suggests that masks can exacerbate several inflammatory skin diseases, few studies focus on their real impact on eczema localized to the face in atopic dermatitis (AD) patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate facial eczema prevalence during pandemic and its psychological impact in AD patients pre-assessed for systemic treatment and/or in therapy with dupilumab. This study includes 71 patients affected by moderate-severe AD, treated with dupilumab at SCDU of Dermatology in Novara, Italy. We calculated the number of subjects with facial involvement in pre- and post-pandemic periods and the related localization trend. We evaluated, in the two groups, clinical and psychological indicators recorded at each visit and the score modifications during the observational period. No statistically significant differences were observed in facial eczema prevalence, between pre- and post-pandemic periods (p = 0.7618) and in facial eczema remission among the two groups (p = 0.1903). In post-pandemic period, psychological scores were significantly lower (DLQI and HADS respectively with p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0025) and the reduction in EASI score during observational period was significantly greater (p = 0.0001). Our analysis revealed a potential protective effect of masks on face eczema, suggesting that they could enhance dupilumab efficacy. Face masks, covering sensitive areas, can positively contribute to mental distress in patients with facial eczema, and being associated with a lower allergic diseases incidence may sustain dupilumab in reducing AD severity.

Keywords: Covid-19; atopic dermatitis; dupilumab; face mask; facial dermatoses.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Graphic representation of the two study groups, before and after the mandatory use of mask in the population
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
(1A, 1B) Young female with severe face eczema at t0 and at t16, respectively; (2A, 2B) another young woman with facial involvement pre‐assessed for systemic therapy and at 16‐weeks follow‐up visit. Both patients were evaluated in the post‐pandemic period
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. İnan Doğan E, Kaya F. Dermatological findings in patients admitting to dermatology clinic after using face masks during Covid‐19 pandemia: a new health problem. Dermatol Ther. 2021;34(3):e14934. doi:10.1111/dth.14934 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Niesert AC, Oppel EM, Nellessen T, et al. "Face mask dermatitis" due to compulsory facial masks during the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic: data from 550 health care and non‐health care workers in Germany. Eur J Dermatol. 2021;31(2):199‐204. doi:10.1684/ejd.2021.4007 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Han HS, Shin SH, Park JW, Li K, Kim BJ, Yoo KH. Changes in skin characteristics after using respiratory protective equipment (medical masks and respirators) in the COVID‐19 pandemic among healthcare workers. Contact Dermatitis. 2021. doi:10.1111/cod.13855 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Yu J, Chen JK, Mowad CM, et al. Occupational dermatitis to facial personal protective equipment in health care workers: a systematic review. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2021;84(2):486‐494. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2020.09.074 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Xie Z, Yang YX, Zhang H. Mask‐induced contact dermatitis in handling COVID‐19 outbreak. Contact Dermatitis. 2020;83(2):166‐167. doi:10.1111/cod.13599 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Substances