Contact sensitization in pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis: a purpose for a new patch testing series for the Portuguese population

Summary

Background. Atopic dermatitis is a prevalent condition in the pediatric population, with affected children exhibiting a susceptibility to cutaneous sensitization due to skin barrier dysfunction and immune dysregulation. Recent studies have highlighted an increased prevalence of certain allergens, which identifi-cation may be clinically relevant, with direct implications for the management of atopic dermatitis. Methods. We retrospective reviewed pediatric patients patch tested due to suspected contact dermatitis. Patients were divided according the diagnosis of AD, with subsequent comparison of positive results for both groups. Results. A total of 145 pediatric patch testing were analyzed, 44.1% (n = 63) with the diagnosis of atopic dermatitis. There were notable differences in sensitization rates of relevant allergens between groups and when compared to other European studies. Based on the most prevalent and relevant allergens, we proposed an adapted hapten series for assessing portuguese pediatric patients with AD and suspicion of concomitant allergic contact dermatitis. Conclusions. Our findings confirmed the geograph-ic sensitization variability and emphasize the need for pediatric adaptation and "individualized baseline series".