Contact skin allergies and implant allergies Clinic in Germantown, MD and Manassas VA

Contact skin allergies (contact dermatitis) are relatively frequent and may affect up to 20% of population sometime during their lifetime. These reactions and conditions develop when your body, most of the times your skin, comes in contact with a material you are allergic to. Similarly, and more and more frequently, with the advent of artificial joints and other implants, you may develop a contact reaction to an implanted material or device. Thus, it is extremely important to accurately diagnose contact allergic reactions and avoid complications. Contact dermatitis can be subdivided on etiologic grounds into various types, including the following: Irritant contact dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, photo contact dermatitis, contact urticaria (hives)and reactions to pharmacologically active agents.

• Irritant contact dermatitis is a condition caused by direct injury of the skin. An irritant is any agent capable of producing cell damage in any individual if applied for sufficient time and in sufficient concentration. Examples of irritants include acids; alkalis (e.g., sodium, potassium, ammonium, calcium hydroxide compounds), which are frequently associated with hand eczemas following exposure to soaps, detergents, bleaches, ammonia preparations, lye, drain pipe cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, or oven cleansers; bromine and chlorine, which are commonly used in hot tubs and swimming pools; and hydrocarbons such as crude petroleum, lubricating oils, and cutting oils. Long-term exposure may cause pruritus, folliculitis, calcifications, or acneiform eruptions.
• Allergic contact dermatitis affects previously sensitized individuals only, namely someone who was previously exposed to the culprit material and became allergic. A common example of allergic contact dermatitis is the allergic reaction to plants of the family Anacardiaceae such as poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. Other common allergens include nickel sulfate (e.g., earrings, buckles, zippers, buttons, metal clips, various metal alloys, devices such as tablets), potassium dichromate (e.g., cements, household cleansers, leather, some matches, paints, antirust products, fformaldehyde (common preservative in creams), methylisothiazolinone or methylchloroisothiazolinone (preservative in wipes, cleansers, and house paints), ethylenediamine (e.g., dyes, medications), mercaptobenzothiazole (e.g., diaper wipes, rubber), tthiuram (e.g., fungicides), paraphenylenediamine (PPD; e.g., hair dyes, photographic chemicals, "black" henna tattoos), acrylates and methacrylates (manufacturing, nail acrylics, wound dressings). Allergic contact dermatitis can also develop when an implant such as artificial joint or screws are placed in your body. In such a situation the reaction is not limited to the skin but rather in an inflammation and rejection of the implanted material. This can of course result in profoundly serious complications and all efforts need to be made to prevent such a situation prior to the placement of the implant.
• With photo contact dermatitis, irradiation of certain substances by light results in the transformation of the substance into an allergen (photoallergic) or an irritant (phototoxic).
• Contact urticaria (hives) may be defined as a wheal-and-flare reaction (formation of hives) that occurs after topical exposure to an agent. It may be immunologic, non-immunologic, or of unknown mechanism.

We, in Allergy and Asthma Clinical Centers, specialize in diagnosis and management of contact allergic reactions. We utilize state-of-the-art patch testing in the diagnosis of the contact dermatitis. We have a comprehensive assortment of allergens to test with including the recently introduced “metal series” with 55 different metals and substance to test with to diagnose and prevent a potential reaction to the metal implants. When a patch test is performed, self-adhesive patches containing different chemicals/allergens are placed on the skin of your back for 48 hours and then removed. The potential skin reactions to the individual allergens are then observed and recorded. We have been proud to diagnose a metal allergy in several prospective implant patients preventing a disastrous outcome if a given implant would be placed. If you are scheduled to have an implant or any artificial materials placed, e.g., screws or pins, please do not hesitate and be screened for metal contact allergy prior to the procedure. Just call 855-528-7348 or schedule an appointment online.