A postal survey of patients with nickel and chromate dermatitis

A postal survey was made of 75 patients with nickel and chromate dermatitis who had been discharged from the clinic; 69% of patients replied to the questionnaire and in 81% of these the dermatitis was still active. In many patients (48%) this was causing significant disability long after initial presentation to the clinic (average of 56.5 months). All patients had patch tests performed and the relevance of this is discussed with reference to nickel dermatitis.