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Allergic contact dermatitis in children and proposal for an Australian Paediatric Baseline Series
Claire Felmingham1, Rachael Davenport1, Harini Bala1
1Occupational Dermatology Research and Education Centre, Skin and Cancer Foundation Inc., Carlton, Victoria, Australia.
Insights
Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is common in children. Patch testing identified key allergens like fragrance mix and MCI/MI, leading to the proposed Australian Paediatric Baseline Series.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Allergology
- Paediatric Medicine
Background:
- Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a growing concern in paediatric populations.
- Tertiary care centres observe increasing ACD diagnoses in children.
- Identifying common allergens is crucial for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review Australian paediatric ACD cases in tertiary settings.
- To determine the spectrum of common allergens in children.
- To establish the first Australian Paediatric Baseline Series for patch testing.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of patch test data.
- Data collected from 1993 to 2017 across two Melbourne tertiary centres.
- Involved 511 paediatric patients undergoing patch testing.
Main Results:
- 58.3% of children showed positive patch tests.
- 38.0% had relevant positive reactions to specific allergens.
- Top allergens included fragrance mix, MCI/MI, Myroxylon pereirae, nickel sulphate, and colophonium.
Conclusions:
- ACD is prevalent in children, warranting consideration of patch testing.
- Patch testing is recommended for suspected ACD or difficult atopic dermatitis.
- A novel Australian Paediatric Baseline Series is proposed based on 25 years of data.
Background:
Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is an increasingly common diagnosis in children. The objectives of this study were to review our experience with ACD in children in tertiary settings, to ascertain the spectrum of allergens in this population and to subsequently propose the first Australian Paediatric Baseline Series for patch testing.
Methods:
We conducted a retrospective analysis of patch test data from 1993 to 2017 from two tertiary referral patch-testing centres in Melbourne, Victoria.
Results:
A total of 511 children were patch tested during the study period. Of these, 58.3% (298/511) of children tested had a positive patch test, and 65.1% (194/298, or 38.0% of the total) had a relevant positive patch test. The most common relevant patch test reactions were fragrance mix, methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone (MCI/MI) and methylisothiazolinone (MI), Myroxylon pereirae, nickel sulphate, and colophonium.
Conclusion:
Allergic contact dermatitis is not uncommon in children, and patch testing should be considered in children with suspected ACD or with recalcitrant atopic dermatitis. Based on our experience over 25 years, we propose the first Australian Paediatric Baseline Series.
