Ocular complications of atopic dermatitis include cataract, blepharitis, keratoconjunctivitis, keratoconus, iritis and retinal detachment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of retinal detachment in atopic dermatitis patients. We examined four patients with atopic dermatitis and retinal detachment, and performed an extensive review of the literature. There have been about 130 reported cases of retinal detachment in patients with atopic dermatitis from Japan, in comparison with only a few reports from Europe and the U.S.A. An extensive review of the literature revealed that retinal detachment occurs at a young age in atopic dermatitis patients, and that often both eyes are involved. As retinal detachment is not a rare complication of atopic dermatitis, we propose that this type of retinal detachment is designated 'atopic retinal detachment'. Dermatologists should be aware of this potential complication of atopic dermatitis.