Abstract
A total of 10,423 patients were patch tested with the European Standard Series in a private dermatologic practice for two periods of 5 years each. One thousand five hundred sixty-eight of 3,664 patients (43%) tested with the Standard Series from April 1, 1975 to March 31, 1980 had positive patch test results to substances in this series, compared with 1,803 of 6,759 (27%) of the patients tested from January 1, 1986 to December 31, 1990. One hundred ninety-four of 454 patients (43%) tested with substances other than those included in the Standard Series during the first period had positive patch test results to one or more of these, whereas 236 of 1,450 patients (16%) reacted to such substances during the second period. The number of patients with positive patch test results to nickel was high in both study periods. Positive patch test results to fragrances were frequent for both men and women during both periods of investigation.
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