Clinical Features of a Systemic Allergic Contact Dermatitis Reaction

Description

A patient who has developed contact sensitivity to an allergen may develop a systemic dermal reaction with or without constitutional symptoms following an exposure to the allergen. A key feature is that a reaction develops at point not directly exposed to the hapten.

The precipitating exposure may be:

(1) oral

(2) inhalational

(3) parenteral

(4) transcutaneous

Constitutional symptoms:

(1) malaise

(2) headache

(3) arthralgias

(4) vomiting

(5) diarrhea

Flare-up skin reactions may occur at sites of a previous skin reaction:

(1) at sites of previous patch testing

(2) at sites involved by prior episodes of dermatitis

Skin reactions may develop at sites without a previous skin reaction:

(1) baboon syndrome (see below)

(2) diffuse maculo-papular rash

(3) systemic vasculitis-like reaction

(4) vesicular hand eczema

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Description

Specialty

ICD-10