Abstract
Patients with occupational dermatitis seen at a skin hospital were reviewed 1 year from the date of their diagnosis to determine the prognosis of their dermatitis. Only new cases of occupational dermatitis with a single causative agent, ie, those with predominantly irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) or predominantly allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), were included. Forty-six patients were reviewed while 66 were interviewed regarding the outcome of the dermatitis. Their prognosis was classified into complete recovery and persistent dermatitis. One hundred twelve of 129 selected patients were studied. The percentage of patients with ICD and ACD were 72% and 28%, respectively. Seventy-two percent of the patients had complete recovery of the dermatitis 1 year later. The complete recovery rates of patients with ACD and ICD were 77% and 70%, respectively. Prognosis of ACD was significantly better (P < .02) in males than in females. However, there were no significant differences between the prognosis ACD and ICD for ethnic groups, age groups, and exposure duration groups to the contactants. Our findings indicated that the prognosis of occupational dermatitis was not as poor as previously reported. This change in prognosis might be due to the strict criteria that were used in the selection of a case, better awareness of the causes of occupational dermatitis, and improved work environment.
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