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. 2025 Oct;93(4):285-297.
doi: 10.1111/cod.14824. Epub 2025 Jun 18.

Variability in Paediatric Patch Test Practices Across Europe: A Survey From the European Baseline Series (EBS) Working Party on Behalf of the European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD)

Olivier Aerts  1 , Thomas Rustemeyer  2 , Anna Belloni-Fortina  3 , Sonia Badulici  4 , Heinrich Dickel  5 , Jose Luis Garcia Abujeta  6 , Ana Maria Giménez-Arnau  7 , Margarida Gonçalo  8 , Catherine R Holden  9 , Marléne Isaksson  10 , Faheem Latheef  11 , Suzana Ljubojevic Hadzavdic  12   13 , Vera Mahler  14 , Esen Özkaya  15 , Gyorgyi Ponyai  16 , Nives Pustišek  17 , Marie-Louise Schuttelaar  18 , Jakob Schwensen  19 , Radoslaw Spiewak  20 , Luca Stingeni  21 , Cecilia Svedman  10 , Wolfgang Uter  22 , Jonathan M L White  23 , Mark Wilkinson  11 , Anne-Birgitte Simonsen  19 , Jeanne Duus Johansen  19
Affiliations

Variability in Paediatric Patch Test Practices Across Europe: A Survey From the European Baseline Series (EBS) Working Party on Behalf of the European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD)

Olivier Aerts et al. Contact Dermatitis. 2025 Oct.

Abstract

Background: Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is an increasingly recognised condition in children and adolescents. However, there is limited knowledge about the different paediatric patch test procedures in European patch test clinics.

Objectives: To map current European paediatric patch test practices, and to relate these to the existing literature, with the aim of guiding the development of a future paediatric patch test guideline, and a corresponding paediatric European baseline series (pEBS).

Materials and methods: In the course of late 2023/early 2024, a standardised paediatric patch test e-mail questionnaire was developed, distributed, and discussed among members of the European Baseline Series (EBS) Working Party of the European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD).

Results: Areas of agreement and discussion were identified regarding patch testing in children of different ages, with and without atopic dermatitis: (contra)indications, choice of allergens and patch test chambers, peculiarities regarding the application and fixation of tests, occlusion and reading times.

Conclusion: Although variability exists in paediatric patch test practices across Europe, there is broad agreement on common procedures, and only a few areas of debate; these findings may be used to inform the development of a future paediatric patch test guideline and pEBS.

Keywords: allergic contact dermatitis; atopic dermatitis; patch test.

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