Patch testing in hand and foot eczema: A prospective study at a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Hand and foot eczema is a common chronic, distressing skin condition with varying etiology. A patch test can be useful to confirm the presence of allergy and to identify the actual allergen. This study aimed to identify the common allergens causing hand and foot eczema with the help of patch testing. A total of 82 cases with hand and/or foot eczema underwent patch test using Indian Standard Series. Overall, the rate of positive patch test reactions reported in hand and foot eczema was 47.6%. Potassium bichromate was the common allergens in males and Nickel sulphate was the commonest allergen in females. The commonest presentation was chronic eczema in 51.22% and morphologically unspecified eczema (40.24%) followed by hyperkeratotic eczema was the most common. The rate of positive patch test reactions encountered was high. We suggest that patch test should be used to improve therapeutic outcome in hand and feet eczema.