The spectrum of contact allergy in elderly patients with and without lower leg dermatitis.
BACKGROUND
There is a strong influence of lower leg dermatitis on the spectrum of allergic contact sensitivity in elderly patients.


OBJECTIVE
To quantitatively assess the impact of this factor which confounds the age-related pattern of allergic contact sensitivity.


METHODS
Stratified analysis of allergic contact sensitivity data collected between 1996 and 1999 in the 32 centres of the Information Network of Departments of Dermatology (three age groups: < or =60, 61-75, > or =76 years), both as crude and as directly standardised (for sex and leg dermatitis) proportions.


RESULTS
Among the 36,070 patients tested with the German standard series, allergic contact sensitivity to neomycin, lanolin, cetostearylic alcohols, colophony, fragrance mix and balsam of Peru, among others, was (much) more common in the elderly, with proportions more or less affected by standardisation.


CONCLUSIONS
The comparison of crude and standardised proportions provides evidence that allergic contact sensitivity to several allergens strongly depends not only on age itself, but on age-related and thus confounding co-morbidity.
Uter
Wolfgang
W
Information Network of Department of Dermatology, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany. wolfgang.uter@rzmail.uni-erlangen.de
Geier
Johannes
J
Pfahlberg
Annette
A
Effendy
Isaak
I
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000485:Allergens; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007868:Leg Dermatoses / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D010328:Patch Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000485:Allergens