title: Immediate and delayed allergic hypersensitivity to corticosteroids: practical guidelines.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Corticosteroids (CS), anti-inflammatory drugs also widely used to treat various allergic diseases, may themselves give rise to immediate and delayed allergic hypersensitivity reactions.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To realise an appropriate diagnostic work-up in order to determine the CS-allergic patient's sensitization/tolerance profile and define the potential replacement agents that can still be tolerated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of the patch test results and concomitant (cross-) reaction patterns obtained with 315 corticosteroid-allergic patients, as well as molecular modelling of molecules.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Proposal of a simplified classification of corticosteroids as to their allergenic properties into 3 groups, determination of two patient profiles according to steric and electrostatic properties of the molecules. Conclusion. Practical information to the medical profession in order to detect and manage such reactions is provided.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium. marie.baeck@uclouvain.be
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baeck
authors.forename: An
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goossens
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005148:Facial Dermatoses / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D010328:Patch Tests; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D021281:Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents