A correlation of allergic contact dermatitis with allergen type and patient categorical variables

• Published in: Cutaneous and ocular toxicology Vol. 27; no. 4; p. 249
• Main Authors: Elfeel, Khalid A, Shenefelt, Philip D, Farghaly, Hanan, Richards, Ira S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.01.2008
• Subjects: Adult; Allergens - adverse effects; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact - diagnosis; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Patch Tests; Sensitivity and Specificity
• ISSN: 1556-9535
• DOI: 10.1080/15569520802379287

Allergic contact dermatitis is a very treatable disease once it is diagnosed. In this study, statistical analysis was done on 105 patients with allergic contact dermatitis and the data were correlated with allergen type and patient categorical variables. Once allergens were identified, patients were advised to practice avoidance of the identified allergens. Significant differences in gender and past history of allergy were noted. Improvement after avoidance of identified allergens was also tracked, and a significant negative correlation was observed between number of allergens and improvement of patients' conditions. Although not reaching a statistical level of significance, some interesting trends were found regarding age versus severity and age versus improvement, which should be explored in future studies. In addition, a larger study population would ensure the collection of more statistically significant data for future research.