Clothing Dermatitis: Practical Aspects for the Clinician

Contact allergy to clothing is considered to be rare. Is the problem underrecognized? In a contact dermatitis referral practice, 13 of 462 patients (all dermatologist referred) were found to have a contact allergy to a formaldehyde textile resin finish or textile dye that was thought to be relevant to the patient's dermatitis. Pursuit of a diagnosis of clothing dermatitis can be frustrating due to the difficulty in obtaining patch test materials, interpreting findings, and ability to make practical recommendations to the allergic patient. This article reviews some of the more common questions that might arise as a dermatologist considers the problem of clothing dermatitis.