Shreeya L. L1, Raghavendra B. N2
BACKGROUND
Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is the classical presentation of delayed type hypersensitivity response to exogenous agents. The disease can have a chronic and relapsing course if the causal allergen is not identified. The best solution for ACD is avoidance of further exposure to the allergen.
OBJECTIVES
To identify the various presentations of hand eczema and to correlate the patch test results with the clinically suspected antigen. An attempt to identify the most common population affected and the frequently encountered allergen was made.
METHODS
The study was conducted at MVJ Medical College and Research Hospital, Bangalore. Patch test was done with Indian Standard Series and indigenous antigens. The patches were removed after approximately 48 hours, and reading was taken after 30 minutes. The results were recorded, tabulated and analysed according to statistical proportion.
RESULTS: A total of 100 patients of hand eczema were studied. The incidence was 69% in males and 31% females. The male to female ratio was 2.3:1. The commonest occupation among males was construction work (36%), and most of the females were housewives (27%). Patch testing was positive in 51%, of which potassium dichromate (28), parthenium (11), paraphenylenediamine (7) were the common sensitisers.
CONCLUSION
Patch testing is a very useful investigative procedure for hand eczema, but association between clinical patterns and the allergens cannot be predicted with patch test alone. The Indian Standard series is useful to a certain extent, but insufficient.
