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Mechanical Causes of Occupational Skin Disease

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Kanerva's Occupational Dermatology

Abstract

Mechanical insults to the skin can result in the formation of various dermatoses.

Alterations occur mainly on the hands, feet, knees, elbows, lips, and neck.

The time allowed for adaptation determines the reaction of the skin.

The effects of trauma are modified by humidity, sweating, age, gender, nutritional status, infection, preexisting skin disease, genetic and racial factors.

Mechanical trauma may contribute to development of irritant and allergic contact dermatitis.

The presence of certain underlying diseases may result in the replication and aggravation of that disease in the area of injury (isomorphic Koebner phenomenon).

Minor lesions incurred on the job may often be disregarded as unimportant and unworthy of attention, but may consecutively cause considerable distress.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, Environmental Medicine and Health Theory, University of Osnabrueck, Sedanstr. 115, Osnabrueck, 49069, Germany

    Dr. Richard Brans

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  1. Dr. Richard Brans
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Correspondence to Richard Brans .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology and Allergology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Thomas Rustemeyer

  2. Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany

    Peter Elsner

  3. Department of Dermatology, Environmental Medicine and Health Theory, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany

    Swen-Malte John

  4. Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Howard I. Maibach

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Brans, R. (2012). Mechanical Causes of Occupational Skin Disease. In: Rustemeyer, T., Elsner, P., John, SM., Maibach, H.I. (eds) Kanerva's Occupational Dermatology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02035-3_78

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02035-3_78

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-02034-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-02035-3

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