Prevalence of dermographism in children

The prevalence of dermographism in our pediatric population was studied in 238 children of both sexes (128 boys and 110 girls) aged 2-14 years, randomly selected from a health care center. Skin reaction was evaluated after 5 min pressure (3,200 g/cm2) applied with a dermatographometer on a 5-cm length of dorsal skin. The reaction was considered positive when a wheal of more than 2 mm was observed. The prevalence of dermographism was found to be 24%, with a significant female predominance (33%) over males (16%). Forty-one percent of the children with dermographism reported exanthema in response to friction and pressure, which was compatible with symptomatic dermographism, compared with only 5% of those who yielded negative reactions. In order to assess the prevalence of dermographism in the atopic population, 100 patients in the 4-14 age range with respiratory disease (perennial allergic rhinitis and/or bronchial asthma) involving sensitization to aeroallergens (house dust mites and/or Alternaria) were studied. A positive response to the application of pressure (3,200 g/cm2) was observed in 47% of cases, this figure being significantly higher than in the general pediatric population.