The etiology of allergic-appearing foot dermatitis: a 5-year retrospective study.

Objectives: The objectives of this 5-year retrospective investigation were threefold. (1) Among patients with dermatitis of the feet consistent with allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), what were the final diagnoses of those with dermatitis only on the feet and those whose foot dermatitis was accompanied by other cutaneous involvement? (2) Among those patients determined to have ACD, what were the relevant allergens? (3) Have the allergens in shoes in the United States changed as a consequence of modifications in footwear manufacture and style design?

Methods: Of 704 patients patch-tested at the University of Kansas Medical Center with the North American Contact Dermatitis Group's standard allergen tray and/or the University of Kansas "shoe and rubber" tray, 70 patients presented with a clinical pattern suggestive of ACD of the foot.

Results: Compared with those without foot dermatitis, these patients were more likely to be atopic and male with bimodal age distribution: <19 and 41 to 60 years.