Differential diagnosis of contact dermatitis: A practical-approach review by the EADV Task Force on contact dermatitis.

The diagnosis of eczema ('dermatitis') is mostly clinical and depends on the clinical history and exploratory objective findings (primary lesions, patterns). Contact dermatitis remains as an important condition in the group of eczematous disorders, with important socioeconomic and occupational relevance. Although irritant and allergic contact dermatitis have a different pathogenesis, both are characterized by a rather typical morphology, are triggered by external factors and tend to occur primarily in the area of contact with the exogenous agent.

Occupational contact allergy: The European perspective-Analysis of patch test data from ESSCA between 2011 and 2020.

Background: Occupational skin diseases have led the occupational disease statistics in Europe for many years. Especially occupational allergic contact dermatitis is associated with a poor prognosis and low healing rates leading to an enormous burden for the affected individual and for society.

Objectives: To present the sensitization frequencies to the most relevant allergens of the European baseline series in patients with occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) and to compare sensitization profiles of different occupations.

Patch test results with the European baseline series, 2019/20-Joint European results of the ESSCA and the EBS working groups of the ESCD, and the GEIDAC.

Background: Continual analyses of patch test results with the European baseline series (EBS) serve both contact allergy surveillance and auditing the value of included allergens.

Objectives: To present results of current EBS patch testing, obtained in 53 departments in 13 European countries during 2019 and 2020.

Methods: Anonymised or pseudonymised individual data and partly aggregated data on demographic/clinical characteristics and patch test rest results with the EBS were prospectively collected and centrally pooled and analysed.

Associated positive patch test reactions to standard contact allergens: 10-year data from the Slovenian E-Surveillance System.

Background: A considerable share of patients tested with a baseline patch test series respond with a positive reaction to more than one allergen, and some associations between synchronous positive reactions to distinct baseline patch allergens have been described in the literature.

Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of sensitization to haptens of the European baseline series as well as the prevalence of oligosensitization and polysensitization and the most significant associated positive patch test reactions in Slovenia.

Methods: Patch testing data collected by the Slovenian E-Surveillance System from January 2008 to December 2017 were retrospectively analysed.

Patch test results with the European baseline series and additions thereof in the ESSCA network, 2015-2018.

Background: Clinical surveillance of the prevalence of contact allergy in consecutively patch tested patients is a proven instrument to continually assess the importance of contact allergens (haptens) assembled in a baseline series.

Objectives: To present current results from the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies, including 13 countries represented by 1 to 11 departments.

Methods: Anonymized or pseudonymized patch test and clinical data from various data capture systems used locally or nationally as transferred to the Erlangen data centre were pooled and descriptively analysed after quality control.