Pitfalls in the Diagnosis of Occupational Contact Dermatitis

The diagnosis of an occupation-related allergic contact dermatitis can be missed in the various stages of the contact-allergy investigation: the history, the clinical symptoms and localization of the lesions, the skin testing, as well as the determination of the relevance of a positive test. Airborne contact dermatitis is very frequently caused by occupational exposure. Basic knowledge on the chemicals contacted is essential, which is not obvious in an occupational context. It is evident that the more experience the investigator has, the more in an accurate way allergens can be identified. The knowledge needs to be based on a good training, keeping up with the literature, attending courses and meetings, and the use of relevant websites.