Background: Patch testing is an important diagnostic tool for suspected allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) in occupational settings.
Objective: Provide an overview of occupational skin disease (OSD) and an analysis of occupational ACD in North American patients undergoing patch testing between 2001and 2016.
Methods: Patients with OSD were analyzed for frequency of allergic reactions to a screening series of allergens, occupational relevance, location of skin disease, and exposure sources. Demographic, occupation, and industry information were recorded.
Results: Of 38,614 patients evaluated, 4471 (11.6%) had OSD, of whom 3150 (70.5%) had ACD. The most common occupationally related allergens included rubber accelerators, preservatives, and bisphenol A epoxy resin. Hands (75.8%), arms (30.0%), and face (15.9%) were common sites of dermatitis. The occupations most affected were service workers and machine operators.
Limitations: Our cohort may not reflect the general working population.
Conclusion: This study identified common occupational allergens, exposure sources, and occupations/industries at risk. This information may help the clinician evaluate and manage patients with occupational contact dermatitis.
Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest Dr Warshaw has received an investigator-initiated grant from Wen by Chaz Dean and served as a consultant for Wen by Chaz Dean and Noven Pharmaceuticals. Dr Atwater received a Pfizer Independent Grant for Learning & Change and has consulted for Henkel. Dr Sasseville receives royalties from UpToDate (Wolters Kluwer Health). Dr Taylor owns non-controlling shares of stock in AstraZeneca, Cigna, Merck, Johnson & Johnson, and Opko Health and he has consulted for Kao Brands and Monsanto (Bayer), is a member of the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Steering Committee, and has a nondependent child employed by Pfizer. Drs J DeKoven, Mathias, Belsito, Fowler, Pratt, Zug, Maibach, DeLeo, Silverberg, Reeder, and Holness, and Author B DeKoven have no conflicts of interest to declare.
(Copyright © 2021 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)