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Patch testing in children. (I) Collective test results; skin testability in children
Insights
Patch testing in children with eczema reveals that positive reactions are infrequent but clinically relevant. Children
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dermatology
- Allergology
- Clinical Immunology
Background:
- Eczema affects a significant pediatric population.
- Accurate diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis in children is crucial.
- Patch testing is a key diagnostic tool.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the results of 10 years of patch testing in children with eczema.
- To determine the frequency and relevance of positive patch test reactions in this cohort.
- To assess the safety and efficacy of standard adult concentrations for pediatric patch testing.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 10 years of patch test data.
- Inclusion of 147 children aged 3-16 years diagnosed with eczema.
- Detailed recording of positive, negative, and relevant test results.
Main Results:
- Out of 147 children tested, 104 (71%) showed positive reactions.
- 334 (6.1%) of 5398 total tests were positive, with 302 (90%) being clinically relevant.
- A high number of negative results (5,064) were observed, indicating tolerance to tested allergens.
Conclusions:
- Positive patch test reactions are relatively infrequent in pediatric eczema patients.
- Pediatric skin can be safely tested using adult concentrations.
- The high relevance of positive reactions supports their allergic etiology.
Abstract:
The results of 10 years of patch tests in children with eczema aged between 3 and 16 years are reported. 147 children were tested, of whom 104 (71%) reacted. 334 (6.1%) of 5398 tests were positive and 302 were relevant. 3,539 tests were negative in the 104 children who reacted to at least one substance. 1,525 negative tests were found in 43 children who showed no positive reactions, making a total of 5,064 negative tests among 141 children. The conclusions are: (i) Positive tests are relatively infrequent in children in relation to the large number of tests performed. (ii) The high number of negative results shows that the skin of children can be tested with the concentrations used for adults, and supports the allergic nature of the positive reactions in the series, which were relevant in 90% of the patients.