Nickel sources identified as causes of allergic contact dermatitis

Nickel in a patient’s diet, in a medical implant or as an ingredient in topical medication could cause allergic contact dermatitis, according to a presentation at the American Academy of Dermatology’s 2015 Summer Academy Meeting in New York.

“Although allergic reactions to dietary nickel are not as common as nickel allergies overall, people should be aware that the nickel in their food could cause a reaction,” Jennifer Chen, MD, FAAD, clinical assistant professor, dermatology, Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford, California, said in a news release.

Jennifer Chen

One of the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis is nickel, Chen said in the release. Once a person has developed an allergy to it, the reaction could result from any exposure.

An allergic reaction typically appears on the area of the skin that has come into contact with a nickel-containing substance, like jewelry, zippers, belt buckles or cellphones, according to the release.

Dietary nickel reactions may be widespread throughout the body or localized to the hands and elbows, Chen reported in the release.

There is a high nickel content in foods including nuts, seeds, chocolate, wheat and rye; however, most people do not receive enough nickel in their diets to cause an allergic reaction, according to Chen. Also, people with a positive nickel allergy may not experience a reaction to nickel in their food, Chen said in the release.

In recent years, more patients have received nickel-containing medical implants, including orthopedic, dental, gynecological and cardiovascular devices, according to the release.

“Very few people will develop allergic contact dermatitis because of the nickel in their medical implant,” Chen said in the release. “For that reason, allergy testing before medial implant placement is usually not necessary.”

Another possible source of nickel allergy is topical medications like corticosteroids, which may have an inactive ingredient that causes allergic contact dermatitis. A prepackaged standardized patch test for contact allergies may not include the inactive ingredients, the release stated.

Reference: www.aad.org