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CEMENT DERMATITIS AND ATMOSPHERIC PARAMETERS IN KUWAIT *
Author(s) -
KANAN M. WAJDI
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1972.tb16079.x
Subject(s) - potassium dichromate , medicine , cement , cobalt chloride , exacerbation , dermatology , contact dermatitis , perspiration , dentistry , surgery , allergy , metallurgy , chemistry , materials science , cobalt , immunology , inorganic chemistry , psychiatry
Summary.— A series of 191 male patients, 2 Kuwaitis and 189 non‐Kuwaiti immigrants from the Middle East, with cement dermatitis, is reported. On the first visit 108 patients had already passed into the chronic stage and 40% showed an irregular nummular pattern. On patch testing, all 191 patients reacted positively to 0·5% potassium dichromate but only 13 of them reacted to 5% cobalt chloride, which incriminated the chromates as the significant allergen in cement dermatitis in Kuwait. Of the 191 patients, only 16 had suffered from transient dermatitis in their countries of origin. Seventy‐seven of the remaining 175 patients came in contact with cement for the first time in Kuwait, whereas the other 88 patients had never had dermatitis in their countries of origin, in spite of long contact with cement. Of 112 patients who were followed up for a period longer than 2 years, 84 (75%) were observed to have clinical exacerbation between April and mid‐November each year. The curve describing the latter was found to be a direct function of the curve obtained for the temperature monthly means. The rising humidity during September each year overtook the high temperature, which probably provoked excessive perspiration and thus favoured the leaching of chromate ions by the integument.