Incidence of Contact Sensitivity in Atopic Dermatitis

Contact dermatitis occurs frequently in patients with atopic dermatitis. Significant contact sensitivities were observed in 28 of 100 patients with atopic dermatitis; only nine reactions occurred in an equal number of psoriatics. It is suggested that the high incidence of contact dermatitis in persons with atopic dermatitis is due both to increased exposure to sensitizing topical medicaments and to a constitutional factor. We believe that the dermal type of contact dermatitis is especially likely to develop in patients with atopic dermatitis. A search for contact dermatitis in all instances of persistent atopic dermatitis is recommended, especially in cases of acute flare-up. Discovery and elimination of the offending contactant may at times constitute the greatest help for these patients.