Intradermal testing in the diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis. A reappraisal.
Contact hypersensitivity may be diagnosed with patch testing or intradermal testing. Although these methods have been used earlier in parallel, patch testing has gradually become the only method in routine diagnosis of contact allergy. Recent findings in corticosteroid contact hypersensitivity have shown that patch testing is not always an optimal method, especially when poor penetrants are used. Therefore, a reappraisal of intradermal testing is presented, based on the literature. Studies employing both patch and intradermal testing are reviewed and the advantages and disadvantages of intradermal tests as compared to patch tests in contact allergy diagnostics are discussed. We find that it might be worthwhile to evaluate whether contact allergy to compounds other than corticosteroids may be easier to detect with intradermal than patch test.
Herbst
R A
RA
Department of Dermatology, University of California, School of Medicine, San Francisco.
Lauerma
A I
AI
Maibach
H I
HI
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000009:adverse effects; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003875:Drug Eruptions / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007428:Intradermal Tests / Q000009:adverse effects; D008670:Metals / Q000009:adverse effects; D010328:Patch Tests; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D008670:Metals; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles