Prevalence and Trend of Allergen Sensitization in Adults and Children with Atopic Dermatitis Referred for Patch Testing, North American Contact Dermatitis Group Data, 2001-2016

Background The association between atopic dermatitis (AD) and allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is controversial. Objective To analyze the prevalence, reaction strength, and trends of the most commonly positive and relevant allergens in patients with AD referred for patch testing. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of 38,482 patients from the North American Contact Dermatitis Group, 2001 to 2016. Results Most adults (56.0%) and children (52.8%) with a history of AD had a final diagnosis of ACD. Adults (66.5% vs 65.6%; χ2, P = .1459) and children (61.4% vs 62.3%, P = .7074) with or without a history of AD had similar proportions of one or more allergic patch test reactions. Adults with a history of AD had a greater number of allergic patch test positive reactions than those without it (2.0 ± 2.4 vs 1.9 ± 2.3; t test, P Conclusions Most patients referred for patch testing with AD history had a final diagnosis of ACD. Patients with AD history had a similar likelihood of having a positive patch test reaction as those without an AD history. Adults with an AD history had a higher number of positive patch test reactions.