Allergens in Hand, Foot, and Hand-Foot Eczema: An Intercomparison by Patch Testing

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Allergology
• Contact Dermatitis Research

Background:

• Hand eczema (HE), foot eczema (FE), and hand-foot eczema (HFE) are common skin conditions triggered by various environmental and occupational exposures.
• Identifying causative allergens is crucial for effective management and prevention of these eczemas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the common allergens responsible for HE, FE, and HFE.
• To investigate the prevalence of multiple and concurrent contact allergies in patients with these conditions.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 190 patients was conducted between October 2013 and August 2015.
• Patch testing was performed on 150 patients to identify allergic triggers.
• Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Cramer's V, and Chi-square tests.

Main Results:

• Hand-foot eczema (HFE) was the most frequent diagnosis (55.8%), followed by hand eczema (HE) and foot eczema (FE) (22.1% each).
• Nickel was the most prevalent allergen across all three conditions (41.79%), followed by potassium dichromate.
• Multiple contact allergies were identified in 44% of patients, with concurrent reactions, polysensitization, and mixed reactions observed.

Conclusions:

• Significant rates of multiple and concurrent contact allergies, including to nickel sulfate, potassium dichromate, and cobalt chloride, were observed.
• No distinct allergen patterns were found differentiating HE, FE, and HFE.
• A delayed reading of patch tests (after day 7) is recommended for HFE cases.