Pitfalls in the diagnosis of occupational contact dermatitis

• The diagnosis of an occupation-related allergic contact dermatitis can be missed in the various stages of the contact-allergy investigation: the history, the clinical symptoms and localization of the lesions, the skin testing, as well as the determination of the relevance of a positive test. • Airborne contact dermatitis is very frequently caused by occupational exposure. • Basic knowledge on the chemicals contacted is essential, which is not obvious in an occupational context. • It is evident that the more experience the investigator has, the more in an accurate way allergens can be identified. • The knowledge needs to be based on a good training, keeping up with the literature, attending courses and meetings, and the use of relevant websites.