The majority of this cohort of hand eczema patients had long-standing disease. Irritant contact dermatitis was the most common aetiological diagnosis.

Objective-To determine the clinical course of diabetes mellitus in tropical Africa. Design-Continuing care and follow up until 31 March 1989 of all newly diagnosed diabetic patients registered at one hospital between 1 June 1981 and 31 May 1987. Setting-Muhimbili Medical Centre, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Subjects-1250 Newly diagnosed diabetic patients seen over a six year period. 272 (21-8%) Had diabetes requiring insulin, 825 (66.0%) diabetes not requiring insulin, and 153 (12-2%) diatetes of uncertain type. Main outcome measures-Survival rates during each year of follow up. Results-205 (16.4%) Patients were known to have died, 126 (61-5%) in hospital and 79 (38-5%) in the community. At least a further 71 patients were likely to have died. The five year survival rates (95% confidence intervals) for patients with diabetes requiring and not requiring insulin were 71% (62% to 80%) and 84% (80% to 89%) respectively for known deaths and 60% (51% to 69%) and 82% (77% to 86%) respectively for known plus probable deaths. 49 (3-9%) Patients died at the time of presentation. Severe diabetic ketoacidosis and infection were responsible for most deaths in patients with diabetes requiring insulin. Infection was responsible for 24% of deaths in patients with diabetes not requiring insulin and was the main cause of death in the group with uncertain type of diabetes. Cardiovascular and renal causes were responsible for 24% of hospital deaths of patients with diabetes not requiring insulin. Diabetes requiring insulin, young age, and ketonuria at presentation were associated with a significantly worse five year survival on multivariate analysis. On univariate analysis underweight, female sex, low educational background, and manual occupations were additional factors with a worse prognosis.

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13 children ranging in age from 1 to 13 years and 1 adult patient had positive patch tests to 2% AlCl3 in water. 13 of them had pruritic excoriated papules, 9 at sites of hyposensitization therapy with aluminium-bound pollen extracts, and 4 at sites of childhood immunization with an aluminium-bound vaccine (Di-Te-Pol). For the 1 adult patient, the positive patch test was not considered to be of current relevance. Aluminium is most likely to sensitize when present in preparations used for immunization.

202 patients, 68 males and 134 females, with patch-test-negative, symmetrical vesicular hand eczema were challenged orally in a controlled study with 2.5 mg nickel, 2.5 mg chromium and 1 mg cobalt given as salts of the respective metals. Initially a mixture of the 3 metal salts was given, and if this produced a flare of the eczema, the salts were administered individually at 1 week intervals. 55 patients reacted to the mixture of salts as well as to 1 or 2 of the individual salts. 3 other patients were challenged openly with nickel alone. Male patients reacted primarily to chromate and cobalt, while female patients more commonly reacted to nickel and cobalt. 56 patients were instructed to follow diets planned to reduce the daily intake of the respective metals. The dermatitis of 36 patients cleared or improved markedly after 1 month of dieting. Responses to a questionnaire sent to these 36 patients indicated that 28 of them had followed the prescribed diet rigorously or intermittently for at least a year, because they experienced recurrence of the dermatitis if they stopped dieting. 6 noted no long-term benefit and 2 did not respond.

168 children, 14 years of age or younger, were patch tested with the Standard Series of the International Contact Dermatitis Research Group (ICDRG) over a 5-year period. 77 of the children had 1 or more positive reactions; relevant test results were found in 80% of them. 8 boys and 24 girls were allergic to nickel, which proved to be the most common allergen; 5 boys and 6 girls reacted to chromate, and 5 boys and 4 girls reacted to one or more of the rubber chemicals.

A placebo-controlled, double-blind, oral challenge with balsam of Peru was carried out in 221 patients with various types of dermatitis. 210 patients completed the study, and 45 of them experienced a flare of their symptoms after challenge with balsam of Peru but not after placebo. 15 patients reacted to the placebo, and 5 reacted to both balsam and placebo. Specific reactivity to balsam of Peru was seen particularly in patients with positive patch tests to this compound and in some patch-test-negative patients with vesicular hand eczema, ano-genital and axillary eczema. Dietary restriction of the intake of balsams was followed by marked improvement or clearance of the dermatitis in approximately half of the patients who adhered to the diet for at least 1 month.