ISSN:
1600-0536
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Our aim was to investigate contact sensitization in children over a 7 year period and to compare these data to our previous findings. From January 1995 to December 2001, 1094 children with suspected allergic contact dermatitis were patch tested with our paediatric series of 30 substances. 404 were affected by atopic dermatitis. 570 children (52.1%), 300 girls and 270 boys, proved to be sensitized. Among them, 291 (51%) were polysensitized. Neomycin, nickel sulfate, wool alcohols, thimerosal, ammoniated mercury, and propolis gave the highest number of positive responses. No significant differences were observed in the prevalence of contact sensitization among the patients with atopic dermatitis and non atopics. However, in the latter the frequency of positive responses to nickel sulfate and Kathon CG was significantly lower than in the former. The face (25%), the hands (23%), and the flexural areas of the limbs (18%) were most frequently affected in children with positive patch tests. In this study population the frequency of sensitized children was significantly higher than the one found from 1988 to 1994, in particular for neomycin, nickel sulfate, wool alcohols, ammoniated mercury, propolis, potassium dichromate, mercaptobenzothiazole and thiuram mix. Our data demonstrate that contact sensitization is more and more frequent in children referring to our department and that the importance of some allergens, such as neomycin, wool alcohols, propolis and potassium dichromate, is increasing in the paediatric age with respect to previous results.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0105-1873.2004.0309bg.x
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