title: Final diagnoses in patients referred for patch testing.
abstract: The final diagnoses made in 989 patients consecutively patch tested in 1990 have been reviewed. Among the men, their dermatitis was entirely occupational in 17.9% and partially so in 12.5%. Among the women, it was entirely occupational in 6.4% and partially so in 9.5%. In both groups, irritants exceeded allergens as the cause, whereas allergens superseded irritants in the patients with a non-occupational eczema caused or aggravated by external factors. It seems likely that domestic irritants were overlooked in patients with a non-occupational dermatitis.
authors.affiliation: St John's Dermatology Centre, St Thomas's Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cronin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000485:Allergens; D003877:Dermatitis, Contact / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000175:diagnosis; D004485:Eczema / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007509:Irritants; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010328:Patch Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007509:Irritants