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Contact Dermatitis: Overcoming Challenges of Specific Patients, Deciphering the Results and Reaching a Correct Diagnosis

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Allergic Diseases – From Basic Mechanisms to Comprehensive Management and Prevention

Part of the book series: Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology ((HEP,volume 268))

Abstract

Skin lesions caused by allergic contact dermatitis are an important occupational and environmental disease. Patch testing is the gold-standard procedure used to diagnose allergic contact dermatitis.

The present chapter summarizes aspects of patch testing for the diagnosis of contact allergy: important working definitions, relevance of treating contact dermatitis, materials, technique, test result and interpretation, and special consideration regarding individual factors which influence the patch test outcome or necessitate special attention.

Performing and interpreting patch tests requires know-how. Knowing how to perform them and the particularities of specific cases is essential to correctly interpret the results. A correct evaluation and diagnosis will significantly impact the natural history of the disease and significantly improve the quality of life of the patient.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Immunoallergology Department, Centro Hospitalar de Setúbal EPE, Setúbal, Portugal

    João Marcelino

  2. Department of Dermatology, Hospital del Mar, Institut Mar d´Investigacions Mèdiques, Universitat Autònoma, Barcelona, Spain

    Ana M. Giménez-Arnau

Authors
  1. João Marcelino
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  2. Ana M. Giménez-Arnau
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Medicine, University Augsburg, Medical Faculty, Augsburg, Germany

    Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann

  2. Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Klinik für Dermatologie, Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Torsten Zuberbier

  3. Division of Immunodermatology and Allergy Research, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany

    Thomas Werfel

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Marcelino, J., Giménez-Arnau, A.M. (2021). Contact Dermatitis: Overcoming Challenges of Specific Patients, Deciphering the Results and Reaching a Correct Diagnosis. In: Traidl-Hoffmann, C., Zuberbier, T., Werfel, T. (eds) Allergic Diseases – From Basic Mechanisms to Comprehensive Management and Prevention . Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, vol 268. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/164_2021_481

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