| Disease/Syndrome |
Contact dermatitis, allergic |
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| Category |
Skin Disease |
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| Acute/Chronic |
Subacute |
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| Synonyms |
Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD); Type IV delayed hypersensitivity; Cell-mediated hypersensitivity; |
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| Biomedical References |
Search PubMed |
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| Comments |
Patch testing can be useful in distinguishing between allergic and irritant contact dermatitis. The distinction is important because patients with allergic contact dermatitis may not be able to return to their jobs, e.g., a tile layer who is allergic to chromates in cement. The concentration of the allergens used in patch testing is important because concentrations that are too high will cause false positives due to an irritant effect. [Rom, p. 625-6] Most cases of work-related dermatitis are caused by irritants. For healthcare workers the major irritants are water, antiseptic soaps, and sweat from glove occlusion. [Kanerva, p. 969] Some biological enzymes (cellulase, amylase, and xylanase) cause positive results in both patch testing (classic for Type-IV allergy) and skin pricking (Type-I, IgE-mediated allergy). In these cases, the positive patch test results may reflect an IgE-mediated reaction. [Kanerva, p. 522] Both immediate and delayed (Type I and Type IV) may be seen after contact with acrylic acid, benzocaine, carrot, chlorhexidine, chlorocresol, chrysanthemum, cinnamic aldehyde, epoxy resin, garlic, latex, lettuce, nickel sulfate, potato, soybean, and textile dyes. [Asthma in the Workplace, p. 807] See "Contact dermatitis, irritant." |
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| Latency/Incubation |
At least 4 days; May take years; Once sensitized, the worker's dermatitis begins 24-48 hours after contact. [LaDou, p. 284] |
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| Diagnostic |
Patch testing |
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| ICD-9 Code |
692.89 |
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| Reference Link |
CCOHS - Allergic Contact Dermatitis |
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| Related Information in Haz-Map |
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| Symptoms/Findings |
Symptoms/Findings associated with this disease:
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| Job Tasks |
High risk job tasks associated with this disease:
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| Agents |
Hazardous agents that cause the occupational disease:
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