Premium
Contact hypersensitivity and allergic contact dermatitis among school children and teenagers with eczema
Author(s) -
Czarnobilska Ewa,
Obtulowicz Krystyna,
Dyga Wojciech,
WsolekWnek Katarzyna,
Spiewak Radoslaw
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
contact dermatitis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.524
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1600-0536
pISSN - 0105-1873
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0536.2009.01537.x
Subject(s) - potassium dichromate , patch test , contact dermatitis , allergic contact dermatitis , medicine , thimerosal , allergy , sensitization , dermatology , chemistry , immunology , inorganic chemistry
Background: Patch testing is an essential procedure in the investigation of eczema in children. Objectives: To analyse the frequency of contact hypersensitivity and allergic contact dermatitis among Polish children with eczema. Patients/methods: During an allergy screening programme involving 9320 children aged 7 and 16 years, 12.6% reported symptoms of chronic/recurrent eczema. From this group, a representative sample of 229 eczema children underwent patch testing: 96 children aged 7 years and 133 teenagers aged 16 years. Patch testing was with 10 allergens: methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone (MCI/MI), nickel sulfate, mercury ammonium chloride, thimerosal, cobalt chloride, potassium dichromate, lanolin, fragrance mix I, Myroxylon pereirae (balsam of Peru), and colophonium. Results: 49.4% tested children were found patch test (PT) positive. 43.8% of 7 year olds with eczema were PT positive, with sensitization to nickel sulfate (30.2%), thimerosal (10.4%), cobalt chloride (8.3%), fragrance mix I (7.3%), MCI/MI (6.3%), potassium dichromate (6.3%), M. pereirae (3.1%), mercury ammonium chloride (2.3%), and colophonium (1.0%). 52.6% teenagers were PT positive, with sensitization to nickel sulfate (23.3%), thimerosal (27.8%), cobalt chloride (10.5%), potassium dichromate (6.0%), mercury ammonium chloride (2.3%), M. pereirae (1.5%), and MCI/MI (0.8%). The final diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis was confirmed in 36% of 7 year olds and 26% of 16 year olds. Conclusions: Every second child with eczema is PT positive, whereas every third child is finally diagnosed with allergic contact dermatitis.