Manifestations of contact allergy

Contact allergy (sensibilization, hypersensitivity) is a state of specific immune response in the skin occurring after repeated contact of the skin or mucous membrane with various environmental substances. At the Allergy Department of the Clinic of Dermatovenereology Diseases in Novi Sad, we patch tested the patients who were referred with a suspected contact allergy and who had been also coming for check-ups as outpatients over the last two years. Contact allergy was assessed in respect to the fact that not only allergic contact dermatitis, but also the whole spectrum of different clinical entities where allergic contact dermatitis and contact urticaria are only the two extremes, should be included. Our results provide further insight into etiology and pathogenesis of contact allergy, offering a better diagnostic and therapeutic approach to patients and opening new horizons to further researches.