Contact allergy in children.

With a view to determining the frequency of contact allergy in children, a group of 100 subjects 5 to 15 years of age with various dermatoses was examined. The study group included children with allergic dermatoses (atopic dermatitis, eczema, and others) as well as nonallergic skin diseases (alopecia areata, psoriasis, vitiligo). The frequency of contact allergy occurrence in the individual groups has been determined. Contact allergy occurred the most frequently in children with various forms of eczema (60 percent), the least frequently in those with nonallergic dermatoses (32 percent). Children with eczema most often displayed a polyvalent allergy. Most frequently, positive patch test reactions occurred with potassium dichromate (in 21 percent of children), with cobalt chloride (in 11 percent), and with neomycin sulfate (in 10 percent).