Allergenen die voor ons allen relevant zijn

Contact allergy is the most common form of delayed type hypersensitivity. The diagnosis of contact allergy is made with the patch test based on a targeted medical history. Recently a European guideline has been published with a complete but concise description of the background, indi-cation, technique and interpretation of the patch test [1]. A large epidemiological study in 5 European countries showed that 27% of the representative sample of the general population had at least one positive reactions to contact allergens included in the European baseline series [2]. This series is tested in each patient, as it contains the most relevant contact allergens in the general population. Usually, this set of 62 contact allergens [3], is complemen-ted by special test series of commercial contact allergens tailored to individual exposures (e.g. hair cosmetics, rubber, resins, metals) in order to increase the likelihood of positive clinically relevant results.