Abstract | BACKGROUND: The 1994-1996 North American Contact Dermatitis Group (NACDG) patch test results were the first, since the inception of the NACDG in 1970, to include results from a medium-sized metropolitan city in the Midwest. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether the causative allergens of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) in the Midwest differ from those in other regions of the United States and, if so, whether occupational or other factors account for the observed differences. METHODS: Retrospective analyses of patch test data collected at the University of Kansas Medical Center (Kansas City, KS) were compared with the data collected by the other NACDG centers. RESULTS: CONCLUSIONS: The current findings show significant regional differences in causal allergens. The increased percentages of patients seen with ACD to formaldehyde, formaldehyde-releasing agents, and potassium dichromate in Kansas City were likely caused by the referral of greater numbers of work-related cases. However, occupationally acquired ACD to MCI/MI and glutaraldehyde were not more frequent in Kansas City than nationally, suggesting that other factors might be operative. Although awareness of national trends is important, dermatologists must be cognizant of regional variations in allergen sources within their communities and referral networks.
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Authors | Trevor R Thompson, Donald V Belsito |
Journal | American journal of contact dermatitis : official journal of the American Contact Dermatitis Society
(Am J Contact Dermat)
Vol. 13
Issue 4
Pg. 177-82
(Dec 2002)
ISSN: 1046-199X [Print] Canada |
PMID | 12478532
(Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
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Copyright | Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA) |
Chemical References |
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Topics |
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Age Distribution
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Allergens
(pharmacology)
- Causality
- Child
- Cohort Studies
- Dermatitis, Allergic Contact
(diagnosis, epidemiology, etiology)
- Female
- Humans
- Kansas
(epidemiology)
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Patch Tests
- Prevalence
- Residence Characteristics
- Retrospective Studies
- Risk Assessment
- Risk Factors
- Severity of Illness Index
- Sex Distribution
- Urban Population
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