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The reproducibility of patch tests.
1Birmingham Skin Centre, City Hospital, Dudley Road, Birmingham B18 7QH, U.K. jfbourke@iol.ie
The British Journal of Dermatology
|April 24, 1999
Summary
Duplicate patch testing revealed significant discordance, with 8% of patients showing completely opposite results for allergens. Clinical relevance was low, with only 2% of discordant tests directly linked to patient complaints.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Allergology
- Immunology
Background:
- Patch testing is crucial for diagnosing allergic contact dermatitis.
- Reproducibility of patch testing remains a concern, with reported discordant results up to 44%.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the reproducibility of patch testing using simultaneous duplicate tests.
- To evaluate the clinical relevance of completely discordant patch test results.
Main Methods:
- 383 patients underwent duplicate patch testing on opposite upper back sides with 10 European standard series allergens.
- Completely discordant tests (negative on one side, positive on the other) were recorded and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Completely discordant patch tests occurred in 8% of patients (30/383).
- Nickel was the most frequent allergen with discordant results (3%).
- Only 2% of discordant tests were deemed relevant to the presenting complaint.
Conclusions:
- Significant discordance exists in patch testing, impacting reproducibility.
- The clinical relevance of completely discordant patch tests is generally low.