A retrospective study was carried out between 2006-2011. Six hundred and eighteen patients with suspected allergic contact dermatitis underwent the standard patch test series recommended by the Brazilian Contact Dermatitis Research Group. The aim of our study was to evaluate the variation of positive patch-test results from standard series year by year. The most frequently positive allergens we...

The elicitation of a positive patch test reaction in a given individual depends upon the dose of the sensitizer applied, the patch test technique and the occlusion time. The dose is determined by the concentration and volume/amount of test preparation applied. If the same amount/volume of a test preparation is applied all the time with the same test technique (same area of skin) and occlusion t...

Introduction: The diagnostic work-up of allergic rhinitis (AR) is first and foremost based on the combination of clinical history data and results of skin prick tests (SPT). Other tests, including specific IgE measurement, nasal challenge, and, as a third option, component resolved diagnosis or basophil activation test, may be useful when the diagnosis is difficult because of polysensitization ...

Introduction: Beta-carboline alkaloids of P. harmala are shown to have immune-modulatory effects in several studies. Extracts of this plant have significant anti-inflammatory effect via the inhibition of some inflammatory mediators including PGE2 and TNF-α. In postmortem studies, structural alterations to the cerebellum have been recognized, including Purkinje cell loss being re...

In a survey on work-related skin problems in professional ice hockey players one player developed a severe patch test reaction with an unexpected complication. The positive reaction to diethyl thiourea was vesiculo-bullous, oedematous and significantly elevated and a spreading several centimeters outside the test area was noted. Starting less than 24h after the patch test application, itching e...

Epicutaneous patch testing is the gold standard method for the diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis. Despite this knowledge, many clinical dermatologists do not offer patch testing in their offices or offer testing with only a limited number of allergens. Introduced in 1995, the Thin-Layer Rapid Use Epicutaneous Test originally contained 23 allergens and one control. In 2007, five additiona...

Patch testing is a well-established method of diagnosing contact allergy wherein patients with a history and clinical picture of contact dermatitis are re-exposed to the suspected allergens under controlled conditions to verify the diagnosis [1]. The results of first innovative patch-testing technique were presented by the German dermatologist, Josef Jadassohn (1863-1936) in 1895. The safety an...