Allergic Contact Dermatitis Prognosis

Allergic Contact Dermatitis Prognosis

Individuals with allergic contact dermatitis may have persistent or relapsing dermatitis, particularly if the material(s) to which they are allergic is not identified or if they continue to practice skin care that is no longer appropriate (ie, they continue to use harsh chemicals to wash their skin, they do not apply creams with ceramides or bland emollients to protect their skin).

The longer an individual has severe dermatitis, the longer it is believed it will take the dermatitis to resolve once the cause is identified.

Some individuals have persistent dermatitis following allergic contact dermatitis, which appears to be true especially in individuals allergic to chromates.

A particular problem is neurodermatitis (lichen simplex chronicus), in which individuals repeatedly rub or scratch an area initially affected by allergic contact dermatitis.

Mortality

Death from allergic contact dermatitis is rare in the United States. Allergic contact dermatitis to the weed wild feverfew caused deaths in India when the seeds contaminated wheat shipments to India. This plant then became widespread and a primary cause of severe airborne allergic contact dermatitis.

Source: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1049216-overview#a6

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