Background. Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a common chronic skin disease that generates considerable public-health and socioeconomic costs. This disease affects the quality of life and the occupational activity of patients. Aims. To assess the quality of life (QOL) of patients with ACD and study the impact of this disease on their work productivity. Methods. This is a cross-sectional study carried out from January 2012 to December 2014. All patients diagnosed with ACD in the Dermato-Allergology Unit of the Occupational Medicine Department at Farhat Hached University Hospital, in Sousse, were included. The impact of skin disease on the QOL of affected persons was assessed using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). The work productivity was measured using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Allergic Specific questionnaire (WPAI: AS). Results. The study population consisted of 150 patients. The average score of DLQI was 6.5. Over the previous 7 days, absenteeism rate was 25.9 ± 15.3%, presenteeism rate was 50.2 ± 32%, overall work productivity loss was 29.6 ± 19.4%, and daily activity impairment was 50.4 ± 32.3%. The DLQI score was significantly associated with atopy (p = 0.03), relapses strictly greater than 10 (p = 0.02), presenteeism (p <10−3), overall work productivity loss (p = 0.01), and daily activity impairment (p = 0.03). Conclusion. The impact of ACD on QOL and occupational activity seems important and requires specific attention from the occupational physician.

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Sir, Eccrine spiradenoma (ES) is a rare and benign adnexal tumor originating from the eccrine glands. It is usually located in the truncal region and is most common in young adults twenty to forty years old. Herein, we report a clinical, dermoscopic, and histological description of the case of an elderly male with an atypical tumor localization. A 74-year-old male presented with a painless, nodular mass on the anterior aspect of the left forearm, growing progressively over the previous year. He had no medical history. A dermatological examination revealed a solid, skin-colored nodule with a central ulceration and a peripheral collar, measuring approx. 1 to 1.5 cm in diameter, not bleeding on contact (Fig. 1a). There were no similar nodules or palpable lymph nodes. Dermoscopy was performed with DermLite 4. It demonstrated a vascular pattern of branched vessels and a central ulceration with a reddish background and scattered blue clods. It also showed a yellowish-brown, serohematic crust surrounding the ulceration and the reddish background (Figs. 1b and 1c). Upon histopathologic examination, the excised nodule revealed a tumoral proliferation, which was well demarcated from the surrounding tissue. It consisted of sharply defined lobules and cords intertwined into a puzzle-like structure (Fig. 2a). Two cell populations were identified: small basaloid cells and larger cuboidal ones. The cells displayed high mitotic activity yet no abnormal mitotic figures and no necrotic background. The section also showed numerous amorphous eosinophilic deposits within the cell cords and a richly vascularized stroma (Fig. 2b). The excision was complete and there were no recurrences on subsequent checks.

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