Accurate assessments of the burden of hand eczema (HE) in the general population are important for public awareness and intervention. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to provide updated estimates of prevalence and incidence, alongside additional epidemiological endpoints on HE in the general population.PubMed, Embase and Web of Science were searched for studies reporting the prevalence and/or incidence of HE in the general population. Proportion meta-analyses were performed to calculate pooled estimates of prevalence, incidence, severity, and the proportion of individuals with HE and a history of atopic dermatitis. Sixty-six studies were included in the quantitative analysis encompassing 568 100 individuals. The pooled estimates for lifetime, 1-year, and point prevalence were 14.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 12.6-16.5), 9.1% (95% CI: 8.4-9.8) and 4.0% (95% CI: 2.6-5.7), respectively. The pooled incidence rate of HE was 7.3 cases/1000 person-years (95% CI: 5.4-9.5). The occurrence of HE was 1.5-2 times higher in females than males. More than one third suffered from moderate/severe disease and around one third had a history of atopic dermatitis. HE was a recurrent, long-lasting disease with an average age at onset of the early-to mid-twenties. In conclusion; HE is a highly prevalent disease in the general population and carries a significant risk of long-term or chronic disease.
Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) in children was previously considered to be a rare occurrence. However, the growing number of case reports and cross-sectional studies through the past three decades indicate that ACD is, in fact, a highly relevant diagnosis in children. Furthermore, the frequency of ACD in children seems to be increasing. In 1999, a review of the literature reported prevalence rates of 14.5-70% in selected paediatric populations. The current paper reviews the studies on the prevalence of positive patch test reactions and ACD in the paediatric population during the past decade, and provides an overview of the main findings. We found reported sensitization rates of 26.6-95.6% in selected groups of children. The associated relevance was 51.7-100%. The most common allergens were nickel, cobalt, thimerosal, and fragrance. Tailored patch testing increases the rate of relevant patch test reactions. Children with atopic dermatitis are as frequently sensitized as children with no history of atopic dermatitis, and there are no differences associated with sex. Children and adults can be tested with equal concentrations of patch test allergens. Our findings may support the notion that the prevalence of ACD in children is increasing over time or indicate an increased awareness.
The importance of contact allergy in children with atopic dermatitis is frequently debated. Previously, patients with atopic dermatitis were believed to have a reduced ability to produce a type IV immunological response. However, this belief has been challenged and authors have highlighted the risk of underestimating and overlooking allergic contact dermatitis in children with atopic dermatitis. Several studies have been published aiming to shed light on this important question but results are contradictory. To provide an overview of the existing knowledge, we systematically reviewed studies that report frequencies of positive patch test reactions in children with atopic dermatitis. We identified 436 manuscripts of which 31 met the inclusion criteria. Although the literature is conflicting, it is evident that contact allergy is a common problem in children with atopic dermatitis.
Dermatological complications can be a serious problem in treating pediatric and adolescent patients of all ages with CSII and/or CGM. Only a few clinical characteristics associated with these complications were identified in this study, highlighting the need for prospective studies that might lead to improvements in the prevention and treatment of dermatological problems.
Allergic contact dermatitis in children is a significant clinical problem. Contact allergy should always be considered when children with recalcitrant eczema are encountered, and special attention should be paid to girls. Patch testing is important, and children may be tested with the same patch test concentrations as adults.
Background
During the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic of Spring 2020, Denmark was one of the first countries to introduce lockdown measures, including closing of all daycare centers. Following the reopening of daycare centers, Danish Health Authorities implemented a mandatory intensive hand hygiene regimen.
Objectives
To examine the occurrence and point prevalence of hand eczema as a consequence of more intensive hand hygiene among Danish children attending daycare.
Methods
The heads of 1667 daycare centers in Denmark were contacted and asked to forward a link to a questionnaire to parents of the children attending the daycare center.
Results
Among 6858 children, 12.1% had hand eczema before reopening of daycare centers, whereas 38.3% reported hand eczema after the children returned to daycare. Of the children who never had hand eczema, 28.6% developed hand eczema after returning to daycare. The risk of hand eczema was significantly associated with atopic dermatitis, female gender, higher age, and frequency of handwashing.
Conclusion
Following the implemented hygiene regimen, a high proportion of young children rapidly developed hand eczema. Well‐established prophylactic skin care might have spared a proportion of the children from developing hand eczema.
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