At the 1979 meeting of the American Dermatologic Society for Allergy and Immunology, a day was devoted to atopic dermatitis. Following the formal presentations, the speakers and members of the society participated in a freewheeling discussion. This was recorded by Jerry Schimmel, PhD, and later transcribed by Carol Almond and edited by Mark V. Dahl, MD. Each participant has been given the opportunity to review, edit, and update his comments in the interest of accuracy and clarity.
Mark V. Dahl, MD: I would first like to ask Dr Sulzberger if he has any comments, since he introduced the name "atopic dermatitis," and since he has contributed much to our understanding of this skin disease.
Marion B. Sulzberger, MD: I enjoyed the presentations and learned a good deal from them. Since this is a freewheeling discussion, let me advance some speculations.
Perhaps we should devote more study to the possible role