[Correlations between conventional allergometry and the Palmer types in interpretation of tuberculin skin tests]

In view of differentiating post-vaccinal allergy from that developing after tuberculosis infection, the authors have investigated comparatively intradermal-reactions to tuberculin according to classical allergometry, and to the 4 types described by Palmer-Edwards in a group of 1549 students and 211 patients. All the subjects were tested with 2 units of PPD IC 65. It was noted that the type I and II Palmer reactions corresponded, in the majority of the cases, to intense, or hyperergic ID reactions, while the types III and IV of Palmer corresponded to slightly positive, or to negative ID reactions. The presence of the post-vaccinal scar does not appear to influence significantly the type of the reaction, but the presence of active specific lesions is accompanied by reactions of type I and II of the Palmer classification. It is concluded that although the Palmer types do not allow to make a clear differentiation between the two variants of allergy they provide however useful indications for the interpretation of IDR in a more sophisticated manner, as compared with the conventional allergometry.