Delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity: multitest CMI reliability assessment in groups of volunteers

Inter-reader and intra-reader reliability was assessed in two groups of adult volunteers tested for delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity (DCH) by the Multitest CMI system. The first group had tests applied on both forearms and three readers measured each reaction site twice. The second group had tests applied on one forearm and each of two readers measured the reactions independently. Intra-reader and inter-reader reliability coefficients were moderately high and similar for the sums and the number of positive skin reactions for both study groups. These results indicate that the Multitest CMI system is a reliable method to assess and quantify DCH.