Contact Dermatitis

What is Contact Dermatitis

Contact Dermatitis is an inflammatory process in skin that is caused by an exogenous agent or agents that directly or indirectly injure the skin. The injury may be caused by an inherent characteristic of a compound - irritant Contact Dermatitis.

The clinical lesions of Contact Dermatitis may be acute or chronic, depending on the persistence of the insult. The most common presentation of Contact Dermatitis is hand eczema, and it is frequently realted to occupational exposers.

What causes Contact Dermatitis

Agents that cause allergic Contact Dermatitis induce an antigen-specific immune response. The most common cause of allergic Contact Dermatitis is exposure to plants, including the genera toxicodendron, anacardium, gluta and mangifera.

Contact Dermatitis sign and symptoms

Irritant Contact Dermatitis is generally demarcated and often localized to areas of skin or to the areas where the irritant was occluded.

Treatment and Cure of Contact Dermatitis

Usually treatment with high-potency flurinated topical glucocorticoids is enough to relieve the symptoms of while the Contact Dermatitis runs its course. For those patients who require systemic therapy, a tapering course over 2 to 3 weeks given as single morning doses is a prefered method.