[Usefulness of skin-prick tests in children with hand eczema: comparison with their use in childhood and adult eczema].

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Hand eczema is not uncommon in children but it is rarely studied using skin-prick tests. Few reports have addressed their usefulness in children and none has specifically analyzed their use in children with hand eczema.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

We performed a retrospective study of all children up to 16years of age with hand eczema who were assessed in the Department of Dermatology at Hospital General Universitario in Alicante, Spain with the standard GEIDAC panel over a 5-year period. We compared the epidemiologic data and results of skin-prick tests in this group with those obtained in children with eczema at any site and in adults with hand eczema.

RESULTS:

The study included a total of 1695 patients: 141 (8.3%) children and 1533 (91.7%) adults. Hand eczema was diagnosed in 496 (31.9%) adults and 32 (22.7%) children. Positive results were obtained in skin-prick tests in 50% of children with hand eczema compared with 37.6% of children with eczema at any site and 50.6% of adults with hand eczema. The current relevance of the positive allergens found in children with hand eczema (76.2%) was greater than that observed in children with eczema at any site (61%) or in adults with hand eczema (43%). The most common allergens in children with hand eczema were kathon CG and fragrance mix I, whereas in the other 2 groups metals were the most common. The most common final diagnosis in children with hand eczema was allergic contact dermatitis (34.3%), which proved to be more common than atopic dermatitis.

CONCLUSIONS:

We recommend the use of skin-prick tests in all children with chronic hand eczema.

• Authors: F Toledo, J F Silvestre, L Cuesta, N Latorre, A Monteagudo
• Journal: Actas dermo-sifiliograficas (Actas Dermosifiliogr) 2011 Jul-Aug Vol. 102 Issue 6 Pg. 429-38 ISSN: 1578-2190 [Electronic] Spain
• Vernacular Title: Utilidad de las pruebas epicutáneas en el eczema de manos en niños: estudio comparativo con el eczema en la edad pediátrica y con el eczema de manos en adultos.
• PMID: 21481822 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, English Abstract, Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España, S.L. y AEDV. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Age Factors
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Chronic Disease
• Eczema (diagnosis, epidemiology)
• Female
• Hand Dermatoses (diagnosis, epidemiology)
• Humans
• Male
• Retrospective Studies
• Skin Tests