In cases of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis that does not respond to topical therapy, temporary systemic administration of molecular targeted drugs (biological agents or oral Janus kinase[JAK]inhibitors) may be necessary. However, topical therapy forms the basis of the treatment for atopic dermatitis, and if topical therapy is appropriately established with long-term remission achieved, the use of molecular targeted drugs can be discontinued. In these two cases of severe adolescent atopic dermatitis, successful initiation of remission was achieved through hospitalization, disease education, skincare guidance, and the combined use of appropriate topical therapy and short-term oral JAK inhibitors during the remission induction phase. Subsequently, maintenance of remission was possible with proactive topical therapy alone. As there are many cases where molecular targeted drugs cannot be discontinued, presenting cases where oral JAK inhibitors were successfully discontinued emphasizes the avoidance of indiscriminate long-term use of molecular targeted drugs. This highlights the significance of topical therapy for atopic dermatitis and the importance of avoiding the careless use of molecular targeted drugs, and supporting the transition to adulthood.
Keywords: JAK inhibitor; atopic dermatitis; molecular targeted therapy; proactive therapy; severe.