Abstract
Patch testing is a well-established method to use in order to diagnose allergic contact dermatitis. The main aim is to reproduce allergic reaction using suspected substances (allergens) under certain conditions. The patient has to be already sensitized. The International Contact Dermatitis Research Group (ICDRG) has specific recommendations for the procedure of patch testing. More than 4,350 chemicals are identified as sensitizers. The type and number of the substances are related to the medical history of the patient, characteristic sites of distribution, age, sex, atopy, ethnicity, personal life style, working and environmental factors.
The optimal exposure time is 2 days (48 h). It is recommended to perform the reading two times, the first after the removal of the patches (48 h) and the second 2–4 days later. The doubtful and weak reactions are the most difficult to interpret. There are also difficulties in distinguishing between weak allergy and irritant lesion. Relevance may be past or present. Adverse reactions in patch testing include irritation, hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation, infections, scarring, and rarely anaphylactic reactions. Standard series are always performed. There are available additional series for hairdressers, chemicals, metal compounds, cosmetics, medicaments, antimicrobials, preservatives, plants, plastics, glues, rubber, and other substances.
The purpose is to combine medical history, clinical examination, accessing of exposure, and chemical analysis of the substance in order to contribute to a detailed analysis of the clinical relevance between positive allergens and the current episode of dermatitis.
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Tagka, A., Katsarou, A. (2015). Patch Testing. In: Katsambas, A.D., Lotti, T.M., Dessinioti, C., D’Erme, A.M. (eds) European Handbook of Dermatological Treatments. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-45139-7_124
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