LAUSR

Contact dermatitis (CD) is an umbrella term for a group of inflammatory skin conditions that result from contact between a chemical substance and the skin. Irritant CD (ICD) is by far the most prevalent and can occur in anyone (no prior sensitization is necessary). ICD can be thought of as the effect observed when a sensitive area of skin is exposed to too strong a chemical, such as detergents. Allergic CD (ACD), on the other hand, represents the clinical disease state that results from exposure to an allergenic chemical in a person who is already sensitized to that chemical, such as that in poison ivy. ACD is a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction that is diagnosed through the application of a closed (under occlusion) patch test, in which the suspected allergen is placed on intact skin (on the back or inner arm) for 24 to 48 hours (Lazzarini et al., 2013). These patches are evaluated at removal and again at a later period (72-120 hours; Lazzarini et al., 2013). Children represent a unique group in terms of ACD, despite the condition being quite prevalent in the pediatric population (20%-25% of all childhood dermatitis; Bruckner and Weston, 2002; Militello et al., 2006; Seidenari et al., 2005). Notably, patch testing in children with recalcitrant dermatitis is often de-