EAR PIERCING, AND NICKEL AND COBALT SENSITIZATION, IN 520 YOUNG SWEDISH MEN DOING COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE

Piercing the earlobes has increased in popularity among males in recen t years. This habit would be expected to increase the incidence of nic kel and cobalt sensitization. Patch testing with nickel sulfate and co balt chloride was performed in 520 young Swedish men doing compulsory military service. The overall frequency of nickel/cobalt positive test s was 4.2%. The prevalence of nickel/cobalt positive tests was signifi cantly higher (p<0.05) in 152 men with pierced earlobes (7.9%) than in those 368 with unpierced earlobes (2.7%). A history of hand eczema (7 /152=4.6%) or other types of eczema (22/152=14.5%) in individuals with pierced earlobes was no more common than in those with unpierced earl obes: 24/368=6.5% and 51/386=13.9%, respectively (n.s.). Hand eczema w as no more common in sensitized (1/22=4.5%) than in nonsensitized indi viduals (32/498=(6.4%) (n.s.)