CUTANEOUS REACTIVITY OF THE HANDS IN NICKEL-SENSITIVE PATIENTS WITH HAND ECZEMA

This study compares the cutaneous reactivity between the hand and the back for 7 female patients with active hand eczema, who were found to be nickel-sensitive on routine patch testing with the European standar d series. Patients were patch tested to a dilution series of nickel su lfate on the back in order to determine the threshold concentration fo r elicitation of allergic contact dermatitis, and based upon this resu lt a lower concentration of nickel was then used for patch tests on th e hand. We found that in the majority of patients (6/7) the cutaneous responsiveness of the hand was not increased compared with that of the back. However, the hand of 1 patient was more sensitive to nickel and patch testing was accompanied with a flare of her eczema, which sugge sts that cutaneous hyperreactivity may be important in individual pati ents with hand eczema.