dermatologic disorders
Contact Dermatitis
Symptoms and Signs of Contact Dermatitis
Acute ICD is more painful than pruritic. Signs range from erythema, scaling, and edema to erosions, crusting, and blistering. Chronic and cumulative ICD is more often pruritic. ACD is more pruritic than painful. Skin changes range from erythema, scaling, and edema, through vesiculation to severe swelling with bullae. Changes often occur in a pattern, distribution, or combination that suggests a specific exposure, such as linear streaking on an arm or leg (eg, due to brushing against poison ivy) or circumferential erythema (under a wristwatch or waistband). Linear streaks are almost always indicative of an external allergen or irritant. The site of contact is where the allergen contacted the skin, very often the hands, because they touch so many substances. Although the palms and the palmar sides of the fingers are most exposed, ACD often starts in the web spaces between fingers because the thick stratum corneum prevents or delays allergen penetration on the palms and palmar sides of the fingers (also on the soles). With airborne exposure (eg, perfume aerosols), areas not covered by clothing are predominantly affected. Although ACD is typically limited to the site of contact, it may later spread because of scratching and autoeczematization (id reaction, a dermatitis at sites remote from the site of the initial inflammatory problem or infection). Because of the time needed to recruit and expand T cells in the epidermis, ACD typically takes ≥ 1 day after exposure to become noticeable and takes 2 to 3 days to become further aggravated (crescendo reaction). (In contrast, ICD typically decreases in intensity [decrescendo reaction] after 1 or 2 days.) Lesion shape or pattern (linear streaks are almost always indicative of an external allergen or irritant) can help differentiate contact dermatitis from other forms of dermatitis. 