Contact Allergy and Contact Allergens in Atopic Skin Disease

Abstract

A case-control study using standard patch tests on 3,790 patients with eczematous disease was carried out in order to compare the frequency of contact allergy and the type of allergens in atopic and nonatopic patients. Contact allergy was found in 37% among atopic patients and in 44% among nonatopics (P < 0.001). The lower frequency of contact allergy in atopic patients was particularly evident with regard to neomycin (P < 0.001) and to lanolin (P < 0.05).