Health care personnel form the 5th category at major occupational risk of skin disease in Italy. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and clinical relevance of contact dermatitis in a group of 1301 employees of the Perugia Monteluce Hospital (658 females and 643 males; mean age 39.8 years) who answered a self-administered questionnaire elaborated by the authors. The subjects with anamnestic hand dermatitis and/or atopic mucosal reactions were clinically examined and submitted to skin tests (patch and/or prick tests). Contact dermatitis of the hands and/or forearms occurred in 21.2% and was significantly more frequent (p < 0.001) in women, subjects under 31 years of age, workers in internistic and surgical fields, cleaners and nurses. In the majority of cases (94.9%), the lesions were irritant in origin and mainly related to disinfectants (especially, chlorhexidine gluconate and glutaraldehyde) and gloves (latex proteins and starch glove powder, rather than accelerators and additives of rubber). Finally, atopy seemed to favour the onset of hand dermatitis. The importance of these results for preventive measures of contact dermatitis in hospital employees is discussed.

Some strategies (sensitization potential of new textile chemicals, more stable dyes, reduced levels of formaldehyde in clothing, and collaboration with textile industry and trade associations) should be adopted to decrease the TCD incidence and update the textile patch testing series.

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) and photo-ACD are cell-mediated delayed hypersensitivity reactions of the skin caused by a wide range of substances. Topical ketoprofen (KP), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), can induce ACD and photo-ACD. Patients with ACD and/or photo-ACD to KP frequently show concomitant sensitization to other substances. The aim of this study was to identify the substances most frequently associated with sensitization to KP, and to evaluate, by means of computerized conformational analysis, whether this association could be due to cross-allergy. 15 subjects with ACD and photo-ACD to KP were tested with the SIDAPA (Società Italiana di Dermatologia Allergologica Professionale ed Ambientale) patch test standard series, including fragrance mix and its components (eugenol, isoeugenol, oak moss, geraniol, hydroxycitronellal, amylcinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl alcohol and cinnamaldehyde) and with the SIDAPA photopatch test series. Allergic reactions to cinnamyl alcohol were noted in all patients, whereas some patients also showed positive reactions to fenticlor, octocrylene and benzophenone-10. Computerized conformational analysis demonstrated that the structure of cinnamyl alcohol is similar to that of KP, whereas the structures of benzophenone-10, octocrylene and fenticlor are completely different. These results suggest that in patients with contact allergy to KP, concomitant positive reactions to cinnamyl alcohol are due to cross-sensitization, whereas simultaneous allergic reactions to fenticlor, octocrylene and benzophenone-10 should be regarded as co-sensitizations.

The 2010 Italian Euromelanoma Day produced good results in terms of melanoma detection/suspicion rates, likely due to the extensive use of full clinical and dermoscopic examinations. The campaign failed to attract many high-risk individuals. Targeted communication strategies are needed to this regard.

Patients with psoriasis have an increased burden of cardiovascular risk, including inflammation, vascular incompetence and early atherosclerosis. Increased hsCRP levels, possibly sustained by the inflammatory nature of psoriasis and metabolic syndrome, and vascular incompetence are associated with early carotid atherosclerosis, regardless of metabolic syndrome and other established cardiovascular risk factors.