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Contact Urticaria and Protein Contact Dermatitis—a Frequently Hidden Diagnosis

  • Contact Dermatitis (A Gimenez-Arnau, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Treatment Options in Allergy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of review

We hope that this review can assist in the classification, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of a contact urticaria syndrome (CUS), a syndrome in which the understanding of such is still evolving.

Recent findings

CUS and protein contact dermatitis (PCD) can be defined as an immediate inflammatory reaction of the skin following contact with an external substance. Erythema, wheals, and eczema, as well as other manifestations can occur as a result of this inflammatory reaction. Many low molecular weight substances and proteins are known to produce these immediate skin contact reactions. These reactions affect many occupations such as health care workers, bakers and cooks, and farmers. Nonetheless, as a subset of contact dermatitis, CUS is often misdiagnosed in part due to a lack of understanding and mild severity of its clinical manifestations.

Summary

A detailed history that elicits environmental and occupational contacts, duration of contacts as well as a detailed understanding of CUS is fundamental to its proper diagnosis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45208, USA

    Austin Jiang MS

  2. University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA

    Howard Maibach MD

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  1. Austin Jiang MS
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  2. Howard Maibach MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Austin Jiang MS.

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Conflict of Interest

Austin Jiang declares that he has no conflict of interest. Howard Maibach declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Additional information

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Contact Dermatitis

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Jiang, A., Maibach, H. Contact Urticaria and Protein Contact Dermatitis—a Frequently Hidden Diagnosis. Curr Treat Options Allergy 5, 302–309 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40521-018-0174-4

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