Allergic contact dermatitis in patients with atopic dermatitis: A clinical study.

BACKGROUND Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronically relapsing dermatitis with no known cure. Due to the chronic nature of the condition, frequent and long term topical therapy is used. This may lead to sensitization, resulting in allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). AIMS The aim of the study was to observe the frequency of ACD in atopic patients in this part of the country using Indian standard battery. METHODS A total number of 30 cases of AD were taken for the study. Diagnosis of AD cases was based on the criteria of Hannifin and Rajka (1980). All the selected cases of AD had mild to moderate grade of severity. All these cases were treated and patch tested during the remission period. The duration of the study was 12 months. RESULTS Out of the 30 AD cases, 7 cases showed positive ACD with patch test allergens. CONCLUSION This study shows that ACD is not uncommon amongst atopic individuals.