Common Causes of Contact Dermatitis Revealed

A recent study performed by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester reveals the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis, a skin inflammation resulting in swollen, reddened and itchy skin.Dermatitis can have many causes and there are several different types. It is not life threatening or contagious, but it can make people feel uncomfortable and self-conscious.Contact dermatitis is common among all age groups and can cause minor annoyance to more severe handicaps, according to Dr. Mark Davis, a Mayo Clinic dermatologist and lead study researcher.“Patients with contact dermatitis can get a very itchy rash from head to toe, or in a confined area,” Davis said in a press release from the Mayo Clinic. “If it's on the hands and feet it can be disabling and patients at times can't do their jobs.”Contact dermatitis results when one's skin comes into contact with an allergen or irritant. In some cases, blisters and weeping sores may be present.The chief treatment for contact dermatitis is avoidance of allergens, according to Davis. At times corticosteroid creams are used to treat rashes, however, about 3 percent of patients with contact dermatitis are allergic to the topical steroids that would alleviate their symptoms.
The Mayo study found that the top 10 causes of contact dermatitis were:- Nickel (nickel sulfate hexahydrate), a metal frequently encountered in jewelry and clasps or buttons on clothing.- Gold (gold sodium thiosulfate), a precious metal often found in jewelry.- Balsam of Peru (myroxylon pereirae), a fragrance used in perfumes and skin lotions, derived from tree resin.- Thimerosal, a mercury compound used in local antiseptics and vaccines.- Neomycin sulfate, a topical antibiotic common in first aid creams and ointments. It is also found occasionally in cosmetics, deodorant, soap and pet food.- Fragrance mix, a group of the eight most common fragrance allergens found in foods, cosmetic products, insecticides, antiseptics, soaps, perfumes and dental products.
- Formaldehyde, a preservative with multiple uses such as paper products, paints, medications, household cleaners, cosmetic products and fabric finishes.- Cobalt chloride, a metal found in medical products and also hair dye and antiperspirant. Cobalt chloride can also be found in objects plated in metal such as snaps, buttons or tools and in cobalt blue pigment.- Bacitracin, a topical antibiotic.- Quaternium 15, a preservative found in cosmetic products such as self-tanners, shampoo, nail polish and sunscreen or in industrial products such as polishes, paints and waxes.Sometimes, the most important part of treatment is the proper diagnosis. A biopsy may be necessary for proper diagnosis or patch testing may be ordered.The Mayo study determined that patch testing with a series of substances is useful for identifying common contact allergens. Patch testing is conducted by placing potential allergens, covered with patches, on patients' backs for two days. After two days, doctors observe which substances cause skin irritation.The study confirmed previous findings by the North American Contact Dermatitis Group.

Sebazole In Phase II Trials For Treatment Of Facial Seborrheic Dermatitis

Barrier Therapeutics released the results of two Phase III trials for its drug Sebazole, indicating the drug's effectiveness in the treatment of facial seborrheic dermatitis. Seborrheic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition affecting about 3% of the United States adult population. Currently-approved prescription therapies require twice-daily application and must be used for four weeks or until remission.
Results from the 50-center 900 patient trial determined that Sebazole is effective in the treatment of facial seborrheic dermatitis with a once-daily treatment regimen of only two weeks.
The blinded, placebo-controlled Phase III trials compared the safety and efficacy of the following treatment arms: Sebazole (Barrier's proprietary gel containing 2% ketoconazole, an antifungal); Barrier's gel containing 0.05% desonide, a steroid; Seboride (Barrier's gel containing a combination of 2% ketoconazole and 0.05% desonide); and a placebo consisting of Barrier's gel with no active ingredient. Patients were treated once daily for a period of only two weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of patients that were effectively treated ("cleared" or "almost cleared") at Day 28, which was two weeks following the end of treatment.
Sebazole emerged as the best treatment from among the treatment arms. In both studies. Sebazole achieved statistical significance in the primary efficacy endpoint against the placebo gel (U.S. study: p=0.002 and EU study: p=0.021).
Furthermore. Sebazole was found to be comparable to the gel containing desonide and to Seboride, the combination of ketoconazole with desonide, indicating that adding a steroid to the topical regimen does not provide additional benefit in this patient population at two weeks post treatment. Good symptom suppression was maintained with Sebazole for the two weeks following the end of treatment.

The Connection Between Seborrheic Dermatitis And Rosacea

Exploring the Connection Between Rosacea and Seborrheic dermatitis Research by Bass & Boney Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in 1999 determined that patients with rosacea often have seborrheic dermatitis which co-exists in 35% of sufferers which makes for a most delicate skin condition.1
In the summer of 2004, research by the National Rosacea Society verified these facts in a study of their own: “According to a new study, rosacea is the most common facial skin disorder overlapping with seborrheic dermatitis (SD), a chronic and recurring inflammatory condition characterized by a red, scaly or itchy rash often found in the creases around the nose, the inner eyebrows or as dandruff on the scalp.
Dr. James Del Rosso, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Nevada, found that 26 percent of rosacea patients had facial SD and 28 percent had SD of the scalp.2 “ Seborrheic dermatitis is a skin condition which results in overactive sebaceous glands which cause inflammation, flaking and a red rash in the central portion of the face.
If one looks closely, the flakes usually have a greasy look, smell and feel. The dryness of seborrheic dermatitis is perceived because of the flaking which consists of dried layers of accumulated oil.
Seborrheic dermatitis usually affects the scalp, but can also affect other parts of the body, such as eyebrows, eyelids, the folds of the nose, lips, behind or inside the ears, in the external ear, the forehead and the chin and the skin of the trunk, particularly around the navel, in the skin folds under the arms, in the groin, or under the breasts.
In infants seborrheic dermatitis is referred to as cradle cap or infantile eczema.

Associated Reference
1. Patients with Rosacea often have seborrheic dermatitis which co-exist in 35% of sufferers which makes for a most delicate skin condition; and even more so when adult acne co-exist with rosacea in approximately 82% of sufferers. The combination of the three is quite aggravating as seen by years of past efforts, the treatment of one condition aggravates the other two medical conditions.
2. Del Rosso J. The prevalence of seborrheic dermatitis in patients with other commonly encountered facial dermatoses. Poster presentation, American Academy of Dermatology summer meeting, New York, July 2004.

Metal-Induced Dermatitis

Precious metal is among the leading causes of a skin condition called allergic contact dermatitis.
According to experts at the Mayo Clinic, allergic contact dermatitis is a skin inflammation characterized by swollen, reddened and itchy skin that's caused by direct contact with an allergen.
The Mayo team analyzed results from contact dermatitis testing conducted on 3,854 patients, each tested with an average of 69 allergens. Of the patients in the study, 69 percent had at least one positive reaction and 50 percent had two or more positive reactions.
The top ten contact dermatitis allergens were:
Nickel, frequently used in jewelry and clasps or buttons on clothing;
Gold, common to jewelry;
Balsam of Peru, a tree resin-derived fragrance used in perfumes and skin lotions;
Thimerosal, a mercury compound used in vaccines and local antiseptics;
Neomycin sulfate, a topical antibiotic common in first-aid creams and ointments. It's also found in cosmetics, deodorants, soap and pet food;
Fragrance mix, a group of the eight most common fragrance allergens found in foods, cosmetic products, insecticides, antiseptics, soaps, perfumes and dental products;
Formaldehyde, a preservative used in numerous items including paints, medications, fabric finishes, paper products, household cleaners and cosmetics;
Cobalt chloride, a metal found in medical products, hair dye, antiperspirant, and metal-plated objects such as snaps, buttons and tools. Also found in cobalt blue pigment;
Bacitracin, a topical antibiotic;
Quaternium 15, a preservative found in cosmetic products such as self-tanners, shampoo, nail polish and sunscreen, and in industrial products such as polishes, paints and waxes.
The findings were presented this week at the American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting, in San Francisco.
The study also confirmed that patch testing with a standard contact dermatitis series of substances is useful for identifying common contact allergens. Avoiding allergens is the chief treatment for contact dermatitis. In some cases, corticosteroid creams can be used to treat rashes caused by contact dermatitis.

Managing Your Dermatitis Treatment

Remember that treating skin disease is a mixture of both science and art, and fine-tuning may improve the outcome, even with relatively small changes. It's best to make these in close partnership with your trusted provider. A small proportion of persons with eczema will learn that their disease is primarily based on an allergic reaction to something. Indeed, the hope of every person with eczema is for a real cure, but at this writing there isn't one in sight. The clinical management of this disease remains quite complex, with much trial and error required. It's always a good idea to look into any rumored new therapy, whether you actually try it or not. And if you do try it, don't be too put off by apparent failures, or too ecstatic at what appear to be promising results. Although your disease is stubborn, it is also manageable. This information sets forth current opinions from recognized authorities, but it does not dictate an exclusive treatment course. Persons with questions about a medical condition should consult a physician who is knowledgeable about that condition.

Reducing the Risk Of Childhood Eczema

Women who ingest alcohol through pregnancy may increase the risk that their child will develop atopic dermatitis within the fist 60 days of its life, researchers reported here at the 62nd annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and immunology (AAAAI).

The researchers, who reviewed records since 1955 in the Danish National Birth Cohort, detected a 4-fold increase in rates of atopic dermatitis among women who reported having more than four drinks per week while they were pregnant."The results suggest that alcohol during pregnancy increases the risk of early-onset atopic dermatitis in predisposed infants," said presenter Allan Linneberg, MD, Senior Scientist, Research Centre for Prevention and Health, Glostrup University Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark.

In his poster presentation, Dr. Linneberg demonstrated that as alcohol consumption among Danes increased between 155 and 2000, so did reported increases in atopic dermatitis. Dr. Linneberg and colleagues scrutinized records of 24,231 mother-child pairs and doctors' interviews with the mothers after the child was 18 months of age.

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy was associated with a significant and dose-dependent increased risk of atopic dermatitis in the infant, Dr. Linneberg said. This effect was mainly seen in children born to parents who were at high risk of allergy themselves.Children of non-drinkers had little increased risk of having atopic dermatitis. The risk doubled if one parent was atopic; nearly tripled if the mother had more than four drinks per week.If both parents had atopy, the initial risk of having a child with atopic dermatitis was about 2.2 times higher than if neither parent had atopy. If the mother of the high risk child had more than four drinks a week, the chance that the child will have atopic dermatitis was 8.5 times higher if that child was born to non-drinking, non-allergic parents."Alcohol passes the feto-placental barrier and may thus influence the immune system of the fetus," Dr. Linneberg said.

In another study presented by Dr. Linneberg at the meeting, data suggested that drinking alcohol may stimulate acetaldehyde to increase histamine-release from mast cells, causing atopic dermatitis.He said that the cohort of children is still being studied to determine if there is any connection between peri-natal alcohol consumption and allergy development in children in later early childhood.

Causes Of Peri-Oral Dermatitis

Perioral dermatitis affects mostly women. In addition to redness around the mouth, the symptoms of perioral dermatitis may also include small red bumps or even pus bumps and mild peeling. Treatments include using a non-tartar, non-fluoride toothpaste. Lip balms, lipstick, or toothpaste can also cause perioral dermatitis.