Abstract
Contact dermatitis is a non-infectious inflammatory dermatosis in which pathological changes in the epidermis and upper corium characterize the clinical picture. Etiopathogenetically, it is an irritant or allergic reaction to contact with an exogenous noxious agent, often favored by an individual disposition. Regardless of the etiopathogenesis, similar clinical, histological and molecular changes can be found. Contact dermatitis – including special photoinduced forms – belongs, together with atopic eczema, seborrheic eczema, and nummular dermatitis, to the group of dermatitis or eczema diseases. These are common: about 15–20% of dermatological patients are affected. The nomenclature of dermatitis or eczema diseases is inconsistent, because neither an etiologically nor a pathogenetically reliable classification has been possible so far. The diagnoses dermatitis or eczema are often used synonymously, whereby the term dermatitis has largely established itself in the Anglo-American area. Traditionally, in the German version of this book, diseases with an acute course and rapid regression were referred to as dermatitis and those with a chronic course and a low tendency toward spontaneous regression as eczema, with transitions and intermediate forms occurring.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alinaghi F, Bennike NH, Egeberg A et al (2019) Prevalence of contact allergy in the general population: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Contact Dermatitis 80:77–85
Barbaud A (2020) Mechanism and diagnosis of protein contact dermatitis. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 20(2):117–121
Basketter DA, Clapp C, Jefferies D et al (2005) Predictive identification of human skin sensitization thresholds. Contact Dermatitis 53:260–267
Bonefeld CM, Geisler C, Gimenéz-Arnau E et al (2017) Immunological, chemical and clinical aspects of exposure to mixtures of contact allergens. Contact Dermatitis 77:133–142
Breuer K, Uter W, Geier J (2015) Epidemiological data on airborne contact dermatitis – results of the IVDK. Contact Dermatitis 73:239–247
De Groot AC (2018) Patch testing. Test concentrations and vehicles for 4900 chemicals, 4th edn. Elsevier, Amsterdam
DeKoven JG, Silverberg JI, Warshaw EM et al (2021) North American contact dermatitis group patch test results: 2017–2018. Dermatitis. 32:111–123
Dhingra N, Shemer A, Correa da Rosa JO et al (2014) Molecular profiling of contact dermatitis skin identifies allergen-dependent differences in immune response. J Allergy Clin Immunol 134:362–372
Diepgen TL, Andersen KE, Chosidow O et al (2015) Guidelines for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of hand eczema. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges 13:e1–22. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddg.12510_1
Diepgen TL, Ofenloch RF, Bruze PM et al (2016) Prevalence of contact allergy in the general population in different European regions. Br J Dermatol 174:319–329
Esser PR, Martin SF (2017) Pathomechanisms of contact sensitization. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 17:83
Fowler JF, Zirwas MJ (eds) (2018) Fisher’s contact dermatitis, 7th edn. PMPH USA, Raleigh
Frosch PJ, Menne T, Lepoittevin J-P (2006) Contact dermatitis. Springer, Berlin
Johansen JD, Aalto-Korte K, Agner T et al (2015) European Society of Contact Dermatitis guideline for diagnostic patch testing – recommendations on best practice. Contact Dermatitis 73:195–221
Johnston GA, Exton LS, Mohd Mustapa MF et al (2017) British Association of Dermatologists’ guidelines for the management of contact dermatitis 2017. Br J Dermatol 176:317–329
Loman L, Uter W, Armario-Hita JC et al (2021) European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies (ESSCA)†: characteristics of patients patch tested and diagnosed with irritant contact dermatitis. Contact Dermatitis. https://doi.org/10.1111/cod.13833
Mahler V, Nast A, Bauer A et al (2019a) S3 guidelines: epicutaneous patch testing with contact allergens and drugs – short version, part 1. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges 17:1076–1093. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddg.13956
Mahler V, Nast A, Bauer A et al (2019b) S3 guidelines: epicutaneous patch testing with contact allergens and drugs – short version, part 2. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges 17:1187–1207. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddg.13971
Molin S, Vollmer S, Weiss EH et al (2009) Filaggrin mutations may cause susceptibility to chronic hand eczema characterized by combined allergic and irritant contact dermatitis. Br J Dermatol 161:801–807
Nakada T, Hostynek JJ, Maibach HI (2000) Use tests: ROAT (repeated open application test)/PUT (provocative use test): an overview. Contact Dermatitis 43:1–3
Ruzicka T, Lynde CW, Jemec GB et al (2008) Efficacy and safety of oral alitretinoin (9-cis retinoic acid) in patients with severe chronic hand eczema refractory to topical corticosteroids: results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial. Br J Dermatol 158:808–817
Scheman A, Patel KR, Roszko K et al (2020) Relative prevalence of contact allergens in North America in 2018. Dermatitis 31:112–121
Schubert S, Geier J, Skudlik C et al (2020) Relevance of contact sensitizations in occupational dermatitis patients with special focus on patch testing of workplace materials. Contact Dermatitis 83:475–486
Sheehan MP (2020) Plant associated irritant & allergic contact dermatitis (phytodermatitis). Dermatol Clin 38:389–398
Smith HR, Basketter DA, McFadden JP (2002) Irritant dermatitis, irritancy and its role in allergic contact dermatitis. Clin Exp Dermatol 27:138–146
Thyssen JP, Linneberg A, Menné T et al (2007) The epidemiology of contact allergy in the general population – prevalence and main findings. Contact Dermatitis 57:287–299
Uter W, Bauer A, Belloni Fortina A et al (2021) Patch test results with the European baseline series and additions thereof in the ESSCA network, 2015–2018. Contact Dermatitis 84:109–120
Uter W, Werfel T, Lepoittevin JP et al (2020) Contact allergy-emerging allergens and public health impact. Int J Environ Res Public Health 17:2404
Westphal GA, Rihs HP, Schaffranek A et al (2016) A variant of the CXCL11 gene may influence susceptibility to contact allergy, particularly in polysensitized patients. Contact Dermatitis 75:303–307
First Describer
Burkhardt W, Dorta T (1957) Die Alkaliresistenz bei Ekzemen verschiedener Genese und bei Neurodermitits. Dermatologica 114:252–257
Gartmann H, Steigleder GK (1975) Inguinale “Pomaden” – Kruste der Säuglinge. Z Hautkrankh 50:667–669
Jacquet L (1905) In: Grancher J, Comby J, Marfan AB (eds) Traité des maladies de l’enfance. Masson, Paris, p 714
Jadassohn J (ed) (1896) Zur Kenntnis der medicamentösen Dermatosen. Verhandlungen der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft, 5. Congress, Wien 1895. Braunmüller, Wien, pp 103–129
Mitchell JC (1975) The angry back syndrome: eczema creates eczema. Contact Dermatitis 1:193–194
Nakamura T (1977) Toxicoderma caused by shiitake (Lentinus edodes). In Japanese. Jpn J Clin Dermatol 31:65–68
Northcutt AD, Nelson DM, Czech JA (1991) Axillary granular parakeratosis. J Am Acad Dermatol 24:541–544
Schade H, Marchionini A (1928) Zur physikalischen Chemie der Hautoberfläche. Mit 10 Textabbildungen. Arch Dermatol Syphil 154:690–716
Tappeiner S, Pfleger L (1971) Granuloma gluteale infantum. Hautarzt 22:383–388
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature
About this entry
Cite this entry
Ruëff, F. (2021). Contact Dermatitis. In: Plewig, G., French, L., Ruzicka, T., Kaufmann, R., Hertl, M. (eds) Braun-Falco´s Dermatology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-58713-3_30-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-58713-3_30-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-662-58713-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-662-58713-3
eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine