This volume contains the proceedings of the International Symposium on the Atopy Syndrome in the Third Millennium, held in Zurich in 1998. The growing importance and the increase of atopic diseases is confirmed by epidemiological data which show that allergies affect about 20-30 per cent of the population. The papers focus on the IgE-mediated allergy, beginning from the first manifestation of atopy, atopic eczema in infancy, and leading to its manifestations in children, adolescents and adults, to hay fever, asthma and food allergy. The topics covered give an update and comprehensive review of the different atopic manifestations concerning clinic, diagnosis, pathomechanisms, treatment and prevention.
