Incidencia y origen de la dermatitis de contacto en pacientes atendidos en el Servicio de dermatología del Hospital Córdoba (2000-2003)

Background: Allergic contact dermatitis is an inflammatory skin affection due to a several chemicals. Objective: To establish incidence and causal allergens of these dermatoses at Dermatology Service of Hospital Cordoba. Materials and methods: Retrospective study in patients with injuries clinically suspected of contact dermatitis. Epicutaneous test of the GEDIEC standard battery of allergens (27) were performed. Patch technique was applied and interpreted by the International Contact Dermatitis Research Group (ICDRG) criteria. Results: Among 181 studied patients, 121 (67%) had positive results to one or more allergens (77 female and 44 male). Age’s main incidence was between 15 to 25 years old (25.83%). Most common allergens were nickel sulfate (70%), cobalt chloride (37.75%), mercury (30.2%), PPDA (25.67%), and formaldehyde (24.16%). Contact eczema most affected area was hands. Conclusion: To establish right diagnosis, effective treatment and suitable prevention it is important to perform tests. Differences associated with most common allergens and its regional variation must be known. New studies are needed to compare these results with other countries reports.