title: European Society of Contact Dermatitis guideline for diagnostic patch testing - recommendations on best practice.
abstract: The present guideline summarizes all aspects of patch testing for the diagnosis of contact allergy in patients suspected of suffering, or having been suffering, from allergic contact dermatitis or other delayed-type hypersensitivity skin and mucosal conditions. Sections with brief descriptions and discussions of different pertinent topics are followed by a highlighted short practical recommendation. Topics comprise, after an introduction with important definitions, materials, technique, modifications of epicutaneous testing, individual factors influencing the patch test outcome or necessitating special considerations, children, patients with occupational contact dermatitis and drug eruptions as special groups, patch testing of materials brought in by the patient, adverse effects of patch testing, and the final evaluation and patient counselling based on this judgement. Finally, short reference is made to aspects of (continuing) medical education and to electronic collection of data for epidemiological surveillance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermato-Allergology, National Allergy Research Centre, Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, 2900 Hellerup, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jeanne D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Johansen
authors.affiliation: Occupational Medicine, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, 00250 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Kristiina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aalto-Korte
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Bispebjerg Hospital, University of Copenhagen, 2400 Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Tove
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Agner
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergy Centre, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Klaus E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.affiliation: Allergy Unit, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital and University of Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bircher
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Dermatology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, SE-20502 Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bruze
authors.affiliation: Hospital Municipal de Vicente López 'Profesor Bernard Houssay', Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cannavó
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hospital del Mar, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giménez-Arnau
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Margarida
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gonçalo
authors.affiliation: Contact Allergy Unit, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital K. U. Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: An
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goossens
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Environmental Medicine, Health Theory, University of Osnabrueck, D-49069 Osnabrueck, Germany.
authors.forename: Swen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: John
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE-17177 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lidén
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Örebro, SE-70185 Örebro, Sweden.
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lindberg
authors.affiliation: Allergy Unit, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Erlangen, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mahler
authors.affiliation: Unit of Occupational and Environmental Dermatology, Centre for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, SLSO, SE-11365 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mihály
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matura
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, VU University Medical Centre, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rustemeyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Bispebjerg Hospital, University of Copenhagen, 2400 Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jørgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Serup
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Dermatology and Cosmetology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 30-688 Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Radoslaw
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Spiewak
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermato-Allergology, National Allergy Research Centre, Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, 2900 Hellerup, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jacob P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Thyssen
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, CHRU Besançon, 25030 Besançon Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vigan
authors.affiliation: Department of Cutaneous Allergy, St John's Institute of Dermatology, St Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
authors.forename: Ian R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: Spire Hospital, Leeds, LS8 1NT UK.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, University of Erlangen/Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4498-3710
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Uter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000175:diagnosis; D003875:Drug Eruptions / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000175:diagnosis; D010328:Patch Tests / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D010353:Patient Education as Topic
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens
keywords: contact allergy; guideline; patch testing; review