Pattern of contact sensitization in patients with and without atopic dermatitis in a hospital-based clinical database.

BACKGROUND

Both atopic dermatitis and contact sensitization are common conditions; however, a definite understanding of the relationship between contact sensitization and atopic dermatitis has not been reached.

OBJECTIVES

In this descriptive study, we investigated the differences between positive patch test reactions in patients with and without atopic dermatitis in a patch test cohort, and explored the influence of disease severity.

PATIENTS/MATERIALS/

METHODS

Patch test results, information on atopic dermatitis and demographic variables were taken from a database, including all patients patch tested at Bispebjerg and Roskilde Hospitals from January 2009 to January 2013. Severe atopic dermatitis was defined as systemic therapy or hospitalization resulting from atopic dermatitis. All other patients with atopic dermatitis were defined as having mild/moderate disease.

RESULTS

The study included 2221 patients: 293 patients with atopic dermatitis and 1928 without. Forty-one per cent of patients with and 46.2% of patients without atopic dermatitis had at least one positive patch test reaction (p = 0.092). More patients with severe atopic dermatitis than patients with non-severe atopic dermatitis had multiple positive patch test reactions (19.4% versus 10.0%, p = 0.046).

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, we found similar frequencies of positive patch test reactions in patients with and without atopic dermatitis. However, a higher frequency of multiple sensitizations was found in patients with severe atopic dermatitis.