The frequency of contact allergy in children and adolescents in the Czech Republic.

The objective of our study was to determine the prevalence of contact hypersensitivity in asymptomatic Czech schoolchildren. We recruited 236 Prague asymptomatic schoolchildren for epicutaneous tests. The children were tested with European baseline series (25 allergens). A total of 218 children (114 boys and 104 girls) completed the study. Of these, 67 (30.7%) children had one or more positive reactions to tested allergens. Nickel, neomycin and potassium dichromate were the most prevalent allergens detected in our study. Our findings may support the notion that allergic contact sensitization in children is not so rare and children, especially those with chronic dermatitis, should be patch tested regularly.