engleski

Sex variation and prevalence of allergic contact dermatitis in Rijeka region

Background: Exogenous and endogenous factors influence the development of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). Sex of the individual is a possible endogenous factor that has been implicated in ACD. However, the precise role that sex played in the ACD is still not well defined. Objective: to study the incidence of ACD in four-year period, regarding age, sex and occupation in patients seen at the Department of dermatology in Rijeka, city in north-western part of Croatia. Methods: Patients were patch-tested for 31 standard and supplemental allergens as well as to specific occupation related allergens using a standard technique according to the International Contact Dermatitis Research Group. The Fisher's exact test was used to assess the gender differences in prevalence of positive allergens. Results: of 450 tested patients, 154 had ACD, 119 female and 35 male. Most common allergens for men were cobalt chloride (37.1%), potassium dichromate (31.4%) and nickel sulphate (25.7%), while for women nickel sulphate (40.3%), cobalt chloride (18.5%) and detergents (16.8%), respectively. We found male prevalence for potassium dichromate (p<0.01) and cobalt chloride (p<0.05) as well. Conclusion: The observed gender difference is mainly due to an increased exposure pattern and not to the possible difference in intrinsic skin characteristics between the sexes.

allergic contact dermatitis; sex variation; prevalence; Rijeka region

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