The practice of patch testing according to present guidelines

Patch tests are a gold standard in the diagnosis of eczema (dermatitis). Therefore, the test should be carried out in every patient with chronic or recurrent dermatitis, irrespective of age and assumed etiology (di+erential diagnosis). In 2015, expert panel of the European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD) has published new practice guidelines for diagnostic patch testing. In 2019, the ESCD expert panel published an updated listing of the European Baseline Series, which is the basis for national series in Europe. These recommendations have been incorporated into new practice standards of the Polish Society of Allergology (in preparation), the listing of the Polish Baseline Series was also updated accordingly. The present article overviews current European and Polish guidelines and is compatible with the above-mentioned Polish Society of Allergology standards.

Keywords: patch tests, diagnostics, contact allergy, contact dermatitis, good clinical practice, practice guidelines.

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