562 schoolchildren from Oporto were patch tested with the standard series of the Portuguese Contact Dermatitis Group (GPEDC). 13.3% of the children had positive reactions, the most common being to neomycin, thimerosal, para-tertiary-butylphenol-formaldehyde (PTBPF) resin and fragrance-mix. Thus contact allergy in children seems not to be as unusual as previously thought.

SummaryA comparative study on the coagulant activity of snake venoms was carried out in 26 Bothrops species, using specific clotting systems for the thrombin-like and the factor X- activator activities. With only two exceptions (B. erythromelas and B. castelnaudi) all venoms showed thrombin-like activity, since they were able to clot fibrinogen directly. The absence of thrombin-like action of B. erythromelas venom is due to a fibrinogenolytic effect. Five venoms (B. atrox asper, B. bilineatus bilineatus, B. cotiara, B. fonsecai and B. itapetiningae) were unable to produce a prothrombin activator when preincubated with serum, factor V, and phospholipid. None of the venoms seems to require factors VII, VIII, IX, XII and XIII for their complete coagulant action. Direct prothrombin activation was observed in most of the Bothrops venoms, alone or combined with thrombin-like and factor X-activator activities.An anticoagulant activity was exhibited by B. castelnaudi venom, probably due to an. anti- Xa action. This study points out that the coagulant activity of snake venoms varies within the same genus and must be characterized for each species. Thus, in Bothrops venoms the thrombin-like and factor X-activator components are not always associated, the coagulant effect may be related only to one of the components.

The authors report a study of allergic contact dermatitis in 329 Portuguese children of 14 years or younger. 170 children (64 male and 106 female) reacted to 1 or more allergens. Most of these were in the 11-14 years group. The main allergens were nickel, thimerosal, cobalt, mercury, fragrance-mix and potassium dichromate. Nickel reactivity predominated in females over the whole group, but a greater number of males younger than 5 years reacted to nickel. The number of positive reactions increased with age, but this was not accompained by an increase in the % of relevant tests. 12 children, all of them 13 or 14 years-old, had an occupational allergic contact dermatitis.

Autoimmune progesterone dermatitis is a rare cutaneous disorder characterized by recurrent and cyclic skin eruption with variable morphology, occurring during the luteal phase. A case of autoimmune progesterone urticaria in a 47-year-old woman is reported. An intradermal progestin test revealed a strong reactivity against this hormone. Treatment with tamoxifen and leuprolide acetate induced only a partial remission of urticaria. Bilateral oophorectomy was performed with absolute clearing of cutaneous lesions.

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