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Contact hypersensitivity in adolescents
Author(s) -
Pap Eszter Barbara,
Temesvári Erzsébet,
Németh Ilona,
Sárdy Miklós,
Pónyai Györgyi
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
pediatric dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.542
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1525-1470
pISSN - 0736-8046
DOI - 10.1111/pde.13609
Subject(s) - thimerosal , medicine , lanolin , contact dermatitis , dermatology , allergic contact dermatitis , allergen , allergy , cosmetics , patch test , thiomersal , immunology , pathology , chemistry , organic chemistry
Abstract Background Contact hypersensitivity is common in adolescents, but data in the literature are limited. Adolescents often use cosmetics, wear jewelry, and obtain tattoos, which can be sources of allergens. Methods This was a retrospective, noninterventional cohort study of 100 adolescents (aged 13‐18; 74 girls, 26 boys) who were consecutively patch tested. Results We detected contact hypersensitivity in 51 of the 100 patch‐tested patients (51%): 52.7% of the girls and 46.2% of the boys were sensitized. The most common allergens were nickel (17%), thimerosal (12%), para‐phenylenediamine (8%), cobalt (7%), and fragrance mix I (6%). Thirteen percent of the reactions did not appear until the seventh day. The majority of clinical lesions affected the hands and face. The most common contact allergens were mercury derivatives, lanolin, and para‐phenylenediamine in boys and nickel, thimerosal, para‐phenylenediamine, cobalt, and fragrance mix I in girls. Of the 47 adolescents with atopic dermatitis 51.1% had contact hypersensitivity. In this group, skin care product ingredients were the typical allergens (25.5%). The most common contact allergens of those with atopic dermatitis were nickel (12.8%), lanolin (10.6%), and thimerosal (8.5%). Conclusion Contact hypersensitivity is common in adolescents. For patients with therapy‐resistant skin lesions affecting the face and hands, patch testing with an evaluation for 7 days is recommended. Our results provide the first data on frequency of contact hypersensitivity in this age group in Hungary. Metals, fragrances, mercuric derivatives, dyeing materials, and skin care products were the most common allergens.