Contact allergy in Danish children: Current trends.

Background: Contact allergy is common in children, but may be underdiagnosed. Importantly, the clinical relevance of specific allergies is subject to constant change, and it is therefore important to continuously monitor the trends and changes of contact allergies in the paediatric population.

Objectives: To identify possible changes in contact allergy and allergic contact dermatitis among Danish children referred for patch testing.

Occupational contact dermatitis in blue-collar workers: results from a multicentre study from the Danish Contact Dermatitis Group (2003-2012).

Background: Blue-collar workers have a high risk of occupational contact dermatitis, but epidemiological studies are scarce.

Objectives: To investigate allergic contact dermatitis in blue-collar workers with dermatitis registered by the Danish Contact Dermatitis Group.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of patch test data from 1471 blue-collar workers and 1471 matched controls tested between 2003 and 2012 was performed.

Occupational contact dermatitis in hairdressers: an analysis of patch test data from the Danish contact dermatitis group, 2002-2011.

Background: Occupational contact dermatitis among hairdressers is frequent, owing to daily exposure to irritants and allergens.

Objectives: To identify sensitization to the most common allergens associated with the occupation of hairdressing.

Methods: Patch test results of 399 hairdressers and 1995 matched controls with contact dermatitis, registered by the Danish Contact Dermatitis Group between January 2002 and December 2011, were analysed.

Positive nickel patch tests in infants are of low clinical relevance and rarely reproducible.

Background: We have previously reported patch test reactivity to nickel sulphate in a cohort of unselected infants tested repeatedly at 3-18 months of age. A reproducible positive reaction at 12 and 18 months was selected as a sign of nickel sensitivity provided a patch test with an empty Finn chamber was negative. A reproducible positive reaction was seen in 8.

[Intensified training at department of dermatology].

In recent years the Department of Dermatology at Aarhus Hospital has implemented a number of changes in order to improve the training of junior medical doctors. Some of the areas in focus are introduction, more responsibility, supervision, work planning and scheduling, conferences and weekly meetings for the specialists. The changes have a positive effect in many ways as training has become more efficient, motivation among staff has risen and the working environment has improved.

The diagnostic accuracy of the atopy patch test in diagnosing hypersensitivity to cow's milk and hen's egg in unselected children with and without atopic dermatitis.

Background: Previous studies have suggested that the atopy patch test (APT) may make oral challenge superfluous in diagnosing children with food hypersensitivity.

Objective: To investigate the clinical relevance of APT in predicting hypersensitivity to cow's milk and hen's egg in 486 unselected children 3 years of age.

Method: The children were examined by APT, skin prick (SPT), histamine release (HR), and specific IgE followed by oral challenge when hypersensitivity to cow's milk or hen's egg was suspected.

Threshold levels in food challenge and specific IgE in patients with egg allergy: is there a relationship?

Background: Previously published articles described a relationship between food-specific IgE and the outcome of food challenge in children with egg allergy. These investigations defined different levels of predictive values in different study populations and thus pointed toward the possibility of a certain level of specific IgE to egg white predicting a positive outcome in food challenge.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of specific IgE in estimating threshold level to predict a positive outcome in food challenge.