Contact sensitivity in community-based leg ulcer patients

We performed standard epicutaneous patch testing on 59 community-based patients with leg ulcers of predominently venous aetiology. Allergic reactions occurred in a total of 30 of 59 (50.8%) of patients and were significantly more common in patients with coexisting eczema (62%) than in those without (38%) (P<0.05). In 26 of 30 (86.7%) patients with reactions, the allergies were related to leg ulcer therapy and the treatment was changed accordingly. This study demonstrates that contact sensitivities are common among community-based leg ulcer patients and we suggest that identification of allergens by patch testing should reduce the morbidity, in particular in those patients with complicating eczema.