Dr. Joseph Fowler addresses common contact dermatitis myths to improve accuracy and efficacy in diagnosis and treatment.
Joseph Fowler, MD, is a clinical professor of dermatology, University of Louisville, Division of Dermatology, Louiville, Ky.
“It used to be that we assumed that almost any eczema in a child was atopic dermatitis… and so, we didn’t really think about contact dermatitis as being something that happened that much in children,” says Joseph Fowler, MD. “In reality, allergic contact dermatitis is just as common in youngsters, as it is in adults. It turns out that most of the allergens are pretty similar.”
In his presentation, “Myths and Realities of Contact Dermatitis,” at the Innovations in Dermatology Meeting, Dr. Fowler discussed this myth among others:
- Are individuals with atopic dermatitis more or less prone to developing allergic contact dermatitis?
- Is the prevalence of potential allergens similar in children and adults?
In daily practice, he says, it’s important to keep in mind that allergic contact dermatitis is possible in children with eczema, but whether they have eczema or not, a visual evaluation will not confirm whether that child has one or the other or both.
“So our threshold for consideration of allergic contact dermatitis needs to be elevated,” he says.
