Background: Dermatological services in Laos, South East Asia are limited mainly to the capital and patch testing is currently not available, so no data exists regarding the common cutaneous allergens in this population.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to document common allergens in paediatric patients with atopic dermatitis attending the allergy clinic in the capital, Vientiane.
Patients/materials/methods: Fifty paediatric patients with atopic dermatitis were patch tested using TRUE Test® panels 1 to 3 (35 allergens). Readings were taken at Days 2 and 4.
Results: Twenty-six positive patch tests were recorded on Day 4 in 15 children (30%). The most common allergens were: gold (18%), nickel (10%), formaldehyde (6%) and p-Phenylenediamine (6%). Other positive allergens were potassium dichromate (2%), cobalt dichloride (2%), Bronopol (2%), paraben mix (2%), fragrance mix 1 (2%) and neomycin (2%). The majority of the patients with positive reactions were female.
Conclusions: This study represents the first documented patch test results in the Lao population. It is hoped that these findings will help clinicians to advise the families of children with atopic dermatitis on common allergens to avoid and inform future work on contact dermatitis in this population.