Peculiarities of patch testing in children

Younger children tend to be seen as atopic, patch testing is infrequent, and they tend not to be seen as having contact dermatitis. However, 20% of cases of dermatitis observed during childhood are in fact contact dermatitis and children should therefore undergo patch testing. Before the age of six years, children require testing with a suitable, safe standard series. Certain sources of allergens specific for children such as connubial dermatitis must be sought in order to determine the relevance of positive tests. The concentration of metals in the ECDRG standard series makes it unsuitable for young children and open tests may be used instead. (C) 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.