A study of 300 cases of allergic contact dermatitis

Background: Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a delayed type of hypersensitivity from contact with a specific allergen. The aim of the study was to study age, sex incidence of allergic contact dermatitis and incidence of various allergen in patch test positive cases for that allergen in patients presenting to dermatology department in Meenakshi Medical College & Research institute, Kanchipuram. Methods: Diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis was made by patch testing. Results: Most cases of allergic contact dermatitis fall in the age group of 41-50 years. More common in males than females. Allergic contact dermatitis to cement was found to be the commonest cause in our study. Conclusions: Allergic contact dermatitis is common in middle age and incidence of disease is common in males than females. The higher incidence of allergic contact dermatitis to cement is due to more people being employed in construction working in this part of the world.