Welcome to our website
Are you in doubt about a diagnosis, the choice of an allergen or just curious?
Then ask your colleagues
…to guidelines, master classes, reference books, the journal Contact Dermatitis and participate in task forces influencing policies in Europe.
The European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD) is the leading source of expertise, in the field of cutaneous allergy, environmental and occupational dermatitis.
Recommendations of the European
Society of Contact Dermatitis
many open access in:
Contact Dermatitis
Patch Testing 5th Edition
The full text of Anton de Groot’s well-known book Patch Testing (5th edition, 2022) is available to all members of the Society. A big thank you from The Executive Committee goes out to Dr de Groot for his generous donation of the book.
The Journal Contact Dermatitis is the official journal of the ESCD. It publishes scientific discoveries in the field of cutaneous allergy, environmental and occupational dermatitis, including chemical aspects, immunology, and drug reactions. Its impact factor is (2024): 4.6
(members have free access for individual non-commercial use)
The ESCD promotes interest in contact dermatitis and environmental & occupational skin diseases
🔬 New publication
📚 Patch Testing in Individuals With Diabetes Using Medical Devices: Part 2- Contact Allergy to Medical Device Allergens and New Patch Test Recommendations
This study of 204 adult type I diabetic participants using continuous glucose monitors or insulin pumps found 16.2% had contact allergy to allergens found in these devices. The prevalence was much higher in those reporting skin reactions than in those without symptoms (28.1% vs 1.1%).
2-hydroxyethyl acrylate was identified as a previously unrecognized relevant allergen and propose an updated patch test series to improve diagnosis.
💡 Key message: As diabetes technologies become increasingly common, recognizing and testing for medical device-related contact allergy is essential. Regular updates of patch test series and continued chemical analyses of devices are needed to improve patient care.
📖 Read the publication: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cod.70149 ... See MoreSee Less
📢 New Publication
🧴 Contact Allergy and Allergic Contact Dermatitis From Propylene Glycol and Related Glycols: Cosmetic Skin Sensitisers After All?
Propylene glycol and related glycols are widely used in cosmetics, topical medications, and personal care products. 🔬 This publication examines the evidence for their role as potential skin sensitisers and the development of contact allergy and allergic contact dermatitis, highlighting key considerations for clinical practice and future research.
Follow the link to read this publication: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cod.70211 ... See MoreSee Less
The updated European Society of Contact Dermatitis Guideline for Diagnostic Patch Testing—Recommendations on Best Practice (Update 2026) is now available.
This revised guideline reflects the latest evidence and expert consensus to support best practice in diagnostic patch testing, helping clinicians optimize the diagnosis and management of patients with allergic contact dermatitis.
Read the full guideline: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cod.70195 ... See MoreSee Less
Better treatments start with better immunological understanding.
The workshop at the ESCD2026 Congress explores how advances in immunology can be translated into improved strategies for treating contact dermatitis.
Among others, we will discuss:
🔹 Is early inflammation the key therapeutic target?
🔹 Are local and circulating memory responses targeted by the same treatments?
🔹 Why do some individuals develop tolerance while others develop inflammation?
Our ESCD2026 Congress President Charlotte Menné Bonefeld is looking forward to moderating this discussion and debate featuring Rachael Clark, Kenji Kabashima, Thomas Rustemeyer, and Lone Skov. ... See MoreSee Less
Acrylates are everywhere - from medical devices to cosmetics, exposure is increasing- but are we keeping up with the risks?
At ESCD 2026, the plenary “Acrylates – what’s new?” brings together the latest insights in this rapidly evolving area.
Chaired by Jenifer Chen and Jeanne Duus Johansen, with Olivier Aerts and Thomas Rustemeyer, this session will explore:
🔹 Emerging sources of acrylate exposure
🔹 Challenges in detection and diagnosis
🔹 What’s changing in prevention and patient management ... See MoreSee Less
At ESCD 2026, a plenary session will take a closer look at the different phenotypes of hand dermatitis, and what is driving them beneath the surface.
Chaired by Prof. Dr. Swen Malte John and David Pesqué, with contributions from Andrea Bauer and Marie-Louise Schuttelaar, this session will explore how underlying mechanisms shape what we see in clinic. ... See MoreSee Less
How do patch test reactions present across different skin types?
This ESCD2026 workshop focuses on patch testing in skin of color - an area where important gaps in recognition and interpretation remain.
Topics include:
🔹 Improving diagnostic accuracy
🔹 How patch test reactions appear across different skin types
🔹 Assessing clinical relevance in diverse populations
The session will be led by Jonathan White, together with Jacob Sons, Pailin Puangpet, Erere Otrofanowei (MBBS,FMCP,iFAAD), and Herielly Msuya. ... See MoreSee Less
How much of skin disease is actually written in our DNA?
The “Genetics – effects on skin and immune response” plenary at ESCD2026 takes a closer look at this question - and why it matters for everyday clinical practice.
Chaired by Ian White and Anders Woetmann, and featuring Laurits Skov and Sheila McSweeney, this session will explore:
💠 Do Neanderthal-derived genetic variants contribute to inflammatory skin disease?
💠 Is there a link between genetics and immune dysregulation?
💠 What do these discoveries mean for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment? ... See MoreSee Less
New research in Contact Dermatitis sheds light on how common fragrance allergens interact with our skin 🔬
Hydroperoxides of limonene and linalool largely stay in the outer skin layer - but still disrupt the skin barrier by altering lipid composition ⚠️
With fragrance allergies affecting up to 1-3% of people and present in many everyday products, this study has implications for our understanding these important contact allergens.
Read more at doi.org/10.1111/cod.70157
#dermatology #skinbarrier #contactdermatitis #AllergyResearch ... See MoreSee Less
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
doi.org