Results of the patch tests with European baseline series in children: Five years of experience from a single center in Turkey and a review of the literature

Abstract

Background Pediatric allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is increasingly prevalent. Patch testing is the gold‐standard diagnostic method. Aims Our study aimed to identify common contact‐sensitizing allergens in Turkish children. Patients/Methods We retrospectively analyzed the patch test results and characteristics of 191 pediatric patients [114 (59.7%) females, 77 (40.3%) males], who received the diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis between 2015 and 2019. Results The mean age of the patients was 12.2 years (range 4–18 years). Thirty‐six (18.8%) of the patients in the study group had positive patch test outcomes with 56 positive allergens. Girls had a significantly higher rate of total positive patch test results than boys (75%/25%; p = 0.003, p < 0.05). The most frequent four allergens were nickel sulfate (n = 20, 10.4%), cobalt chloride (n = 6, 3.14%), p‐phenylenediamine (n = 5, 2.61%), Methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone (n = 5, 2.61%), respectively. Conclusions In our study, we discovered that in addition to the frequently encountered metal allergens such as nickel and cobalt, p‐phenylenediamine and Methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone sensitivities were frequent in the Turkish population. p‐phenylenediamine sensitization can cause serious systemic dermatitis during the lifetime of children. We suggest that in Turkey personal care and hygiene products containing Methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone should be legally regulated. Since childhood contact dermatitis may have an impact on the quality of life by influencing family and social life, suspected allergens should be detected as early as possible.

The burden of dermatitis from 1990–2019 in the Middle East and North Africa region

“…However, numerous countries have not universally implemented similar measures for domestically produced and consumed goods. This has resulted in Nickel-induced contact dermatitis persisting as the most prevalent form, as evidenced by recent studies in Turkey and Iran [ 45 , 46 ]. Therefore, maintaining vigilance regarding potential Nickel exposure remains important.…”