Contact dermatitis

Abstract

Contact dermatitis accounts for 70-90% of all occupational skin diseases. 1 It is an inflammatory skin condition induced by exposure to an external irritant or allergen (table 1⇓). A prevalence of 8.2% was seen in a recent cross sectional study of 12 377 subjects across five European countries, in which a randomly selected group of 3119 patients were patch tested. 2 The condition can have a detrimental impact on personal and social relationships, quality of life, and even threaten employment. [3][4][5] What are the different types of contact dermatitis?Irritant contact dermatitis is a non-immunologic response that occurs as a consequence of direct damage to the skin, by chemicals or physical agents, faster than the skin is able to repair itself. 6 7 Approximately 80% of cases of contact dermatitis are irritant contact dermatitis. 8 Common irritants include soaps, detergents, water, solvents, cutting oils, and food ingredients. 8 The hands, particularly finger web spaces (fig 1⇓), and the face are commonly affected. 6 Allergic contact dermatitis comprises 20% of cases of contact dermatitis. It is a type IV delayed hypersensitivity reaction to an external allergen, which occurs only in an individual who has previously been sensitised. 6 Re-exposure to the allergen results in circulating memory T cells homing in to the skin and eliciting an immunologic reaction that causes skin inflammation, typically within 48 hours. [9][10][11][12][13] For personal use only: See rights and reprints

Occupational contact dermatitis in Triveneto: Analysis of patch test data of the North Eastern Italian Database from 1996 to 2016

“…Women comprised 64.1% of the patients and were predominant in both the OCD and non‐OCD groups. This proportion, consistent with previous studies, 26‐29 may indicate that women were more often affected by contact dermatitis than men. There is a clinical notion that women are more skin‐reactive than men, and it has been observed that AD shows a female preponderance in adulthood, 26,30 the latter perhaps related to an exacerbation of Th2 inflammation supported by estradiol and other female sex hormones 31 .…”

All‐trans‐retinoic acid activated mast cells via Mas‐related G‐protein‐coupled receptor‐X2 in retinoid dermatitis

“…Retinoid dermatitis had been thought to be allergic contact dermatitis, 20 that is, a type IV delayed hypersensitivity reaction that occurs only in a sensitized individual. 21,22 A strong relationship between ATRA and skin mast cells has been confirmed, as mast cell-deficient Kit W-sh/W-sh mice did not show as serious dermatitis as WT mice. 4 Mast cell-mediated drug hypersensitivity mainly consists of allergic/immune reaction, pharmacological interaction with immune receptors (p-i reactions), and pseudoallergy.…”

“…It is commonly believed that contact dermatitis comprises 80% irritant contact dermatitis and 20% allergic contact dermatitis. Retinoid dermatitis had been thought to be allergic contact dermatitis, that is, a type IV delayed hypersensitivity reaction that occurs only in a sensitized individual . A strong relationship between ATRA and skin mast cells has been confirmed, as mast cell‐deficient Kit W‐sh/W‐sh mice did not show as serious dermatitis as WT mice .…”

Cells to Surgery Quiz: December 2018

“…a. Contact Dermatitis (CD) is a common inflammatory cutaneous reaction cause by an irritant or allergen (Rashid andShim, 2016, Tan et al, 2014). Classic clinical features of contact dermatitis in the acute phase include pruritus, erythema, dryness, and scaling, along with the development of vesicles and bullae, while chronic disease can present with lichenification and fissuring (Tan et al, 2014).…”