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Contact Dermatitis Due to Irritation

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Handbook of Occupational Dermatology

Abstract

Irritant contact dermatitis (ICD), defined as “a nonim-munologic local inflammatory reaction characterised by erythema, oedema or corrosion following single or repeated application of a chemical substance to an identical cutaneous site” (Mathias and Maibach 1978), is a leading cause of occupational disease in dermatology and causes economic damage to workers, companies, and social-security systems worldwide. The perception of ICD as more trivial than the more intellectually appealing problem of allergic sensitisation has recently changed dramatically. In Germany, skin diseases are the second most frequent occupational disease following musculoskeletal disorders, and most occupational dermatoses are cases of contact dermatitis. Among these, ICD is probably more frequent than allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), although reliable data are still very limited. In contrast to ACD, ICD is defined as being the result of primarily nonspecific damage to the skin. It is not a clinical entity but rather a spectrum of diseases.

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Authors
  1. W. Wigger-Alberti
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  2. P. Elsner
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Dermatology, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 aA, 00250, Helsinki, Finland

    Lasse Kanerva M.D., Ph.D.

  2. Department of Occupational Dermatology, Karolinska Hospital, 117 76, Stockholm, Sweden

    Jan E. Wahlberg M.D., Ph.D.

  3. National Institute for Working Life, 117 76, Stockholm, Sweden

    Jan E. Wahlberg M.D., Ph.D.

  4. Klinik für Hautkrankheiten, Klinikum der FSU Jena, Erfurter Straße 35, 07740, Jena, Germany

    P. Elsner

  5. School of Medicine, University of California, Box 0989, Surge 100, 94143-0989, CA, San Francisco, USA

    Howard I. Maibach M.D.

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Wigger-Alberti, W., Elsner, P. (2000). Contact Dermatitis Due to Irritation. In: Kanerva, L., Wahlberg, J.E., Elsner, P., Maibach, H.I. (eds) Handbook of Occupational Dermatology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-07677-4_11

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