Allergic contact dermatitis to footwear in Thailand: Prevalence, clinical characteristics and common allergens.

BACKGROUND

Footwear contact allergy is caused by exposure to allergens in shoes. The prevalence and common allergens vary by region and time due to differences in customs and lifestyle.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the clinical characteristics and common allergens of patients with footwear-related allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) who attended Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, between 2001 and 2020.

METHODS

The medical records of 247 patients with clinically suspected footwear dermatitis who underwent patch testing were reviewed.

RESULTS

The prevalence of ACD to footwear was 1.8%. Females were predominant (71.6%). The three most common allergens were carba mix (7.7%), mercapto mix (6.9%) and potassium dichromate (6.9%). According to the allergens found, rubber (14.2%), adhesives (7.7%) and leathers (6.9%) were the three most common groups. Dorsal-limited skin lesions were significantly associated with footwear ACD.

CONCLUSION

Rubber and leather allergens were still the most common culprit allergens. Dermatologists should keep up-to-date on common allergens in footwear and emerging allergens to include in patch test series.