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The frequency of fragrance allergy in patch‐tested patients increases with their age
Author(s) -
Buckley D.A.,
Rycroft R.J.G.,
White I.R.,
Mcfadden J.P.
Publication year - 2003
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.1365-2133.2003.05491.x
Subject(s) - allergy , patch testing , medicine , dermatology , contact dermatitis , immunology
Summary Background The most likely age of sensitization to fragrance chemicals is unknown. Objectives To investigate the frequency of allergy to the 8% fragrance mix (FM) in each decade of life in patients undergoing patch testing for the investigation of skin symptoms. Methods Patients ( n = 23 846; 14 104 female and 9742 male) underwent patch testing to a standard series between 1 January 1984 and 31 December 1998. All data were recorded on a computerized database. Results We found that 8·4% of females and 6·4% of males were allergic to the FM. The frequency of fragrance allergy was low in the first two decades of life (2·5–3·4%). It gradually increased in females after the age of 20 years to peak in the 60s at 14·4% of those tested, with a decline to 11·6% in the 80s. The prevalence in males rose more slowly and peaked at 13·7% in the 70s, declining to 10·8% in the 80s. The youngest patients sensitized were aged 2 years. Conclusions These findings support the hypothesis that allergy to fragrance results from a combination of repeated environmental exposure and age‐related susceptibility factors.