High prevalence of contact hypersensitivity to metals and preservatives in Chinese patients with atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis(AD)is an inflammatory skin disease characterized by chronic recurrent dermatitis with profound pruritus.Most patients have personal and/or family history of atopic diseases.111 Allergy to air allergens and food allergens was regarded as an important feature of AD.There have been few studies for contact sensitization in patients with AD.The question remains if patch testing to a greater extent should be used as a screening tool in AD patients,to exclude hidden allergies possibly maintaining or aggravating their skin symptoms.In this study,w e compared patch test results between patients with AD and non-AD patients including patients with facial dermatitis,eczema,psoriasis,pruritus and urticaria,and including some healthy population.