Table of contents
Expand All Topics
Contact dermatitis
Background
Overview
Definition
CD is an inflammatory intolerance response characterized by successive and coexistent erythema, blisters, exudation, papules, and flaking.
1
Pathophysiology
CD is caused by allergens (triggered by environmental factors and genetic mutations, such as filaggrin mutation), irritants (chemical and physical agents, plants, photoxic agents, airborne irritants) or microbials, and intrinsic factors (autoimmune responses).
1
Disease course
The contact of allergens and irritants lead to an autoimmune inflammatory response that results in CD, which causes clinical manifestations of erythema, blisters, skin edema, pustules, hemorrhage, crusts, scales, erosions, pruritus, pain, dryness of skin, scaly patches and plaques with lichenification and desquamation. Disease progression in chronic irritant CD may result in paronychia and chronic allergic CD in acute allergic CD with distant lesions.
1
Prognosis and risk of recurrence
CD is not associated with increased mortality.
2
Guidelines
Key sources
The following summarized guidelines for the evaluation and management of contact dermatitis are prepared by our editorial team based on guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG 2020), the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD 2017), the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI/ACAAI 2015), and the German Society of Dermatology (DDG/BVDD/DKG/DGAKI/AeDA/IVDK 2014).
1
2
3
4
5
6