Hand eczema in Italian patients referred for patch testing: A retrospective SIDAPA study (2016-2023).

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Allergology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Hand eczema (HE) significantly impacts patient quality of life.
• Limited data exists on HE patients in Italy undergoing patch testing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define the demographic, etiological, and patch test characteristics of Italian HE patients.
• To compare patients with exclusive hand eczema (HE-only) to those with broader eczema (HE+) and non-hand eczema (NHE).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective descriptive study of 1597 HE patients from 2016-2023 across eight Italian dermatology clinics.
• Patients categorized into HE-only, HE+, and NHE groups.
• Analysis of demographics, diagnoses (occupational dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, irritant contact dermatitis, atopic HE), clinical subtypes, and patch test results.

Main Results:

• HE affected 1597 patients (35.3% male, mean age 42.7).
• Occupational dermatitis was more prevalent in HE-only (33.2%) and HE+ (25.0%) groups compared to NHE (5.2%).
• Common allergens included nickel sulfate, methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, p-phenylenediamine, and potassium dichromate.

Conclusions:

• Italian HE patients, particularly those with exclusive hand involvement, exhibit unique demographic, clinical, and etiological profiles.
• Patch testing reveals specific allergen sensitivities in this population.
• Findings aid in understanding and managing hand eczema in Italy.