Where is irritant contact dermatitis most likely to present?
The most common site for irritant contact dermatitis is the hand. Individuals with atopic dermatitis are genetically predisposed to develop irritant contact dermatitis especially of the hands. Although irritant contact dermatitis is caused mostly by chemicals (e.g., acids, alkalis, solvents, oxidants), plants (e.g., hot peppers, garlic, tobacco) also have been implicated. Severity of the reaction is related to the amount and duration of exposure to the irritant. How does allergic contact dermatitis present? In acute allergic contact dermatitis, lesions appear within 24-96 hours of exposure to the allergen. The main symptom, in addition to the rash, is itching. How come I only get a rash when I am in the sun? This is called photodermatitis. Photodermatitis is diagnosed by the presence of lesions limited to sun-exposed body areas. There are two types of reactions that are considered part of the photodermatitis family: the first is a phototoxic reaction in which burning is the primary com
