Clinical correlation of patch testing in suspected Allergic Contact Dermatitis

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is the classic presentation of delayed type hypersensitivity response to exogenous agents.(1) Rapid urbanization, westernization of lifestyles, poor quality of objects available and extremely relaxed vigilance on adherence to product safety guidelines make any developing country like India highly susceptible to allergic contact dermatitis (ACD).(2) ACD affects social, occupational and psychological performance of an individual and adds to the morbidity. It accounts for 20% of the occupational dermatoses encountered in clinical practice . (3) The best treatment for ACD is avoidance of further exposure to the initiating allergen. This makes the identification of the allergen important. Patch test remains the standard test for the diagnosis and identification of ACD . (4) This study was conducted to identify the various presentations of ACD and to correlate the patch test results with the clinically suspected allergen. An attempt was also be made to identify the most common allergen in the study population.