The relationship between clinical patterns, external and endogenous factors in hand eczema: A statistical evaluation with hierarchical log-linear analysis method

Abstract

In this report, 83 hand eczema cases were investigated in order to asses the relationship between contact sen¬sitivity, atopy, localization and sex. Hierarchical analysis with these 4 variables revealed a three-way interaction between localization, atopy and contact sensitization. A positive correlation was found between atopy and positive patch test in palmar and finger eczema cases and an inverse relationship of these factors was noted in dorsal hand eczema cases. We also noted a three- way interaction between atopy, localization and sex, such that male patients with palmar eczema and female patients with dorsal hand eczema had a higher rate of atopy positivity. In previous studies the correlations between the clinical patterns of hand eczema and their etiology was evalu¬ated and no distribution of eczema was found to be typically allergic,irritant or endogenous . We believe that more studies should be carried out to clarify the relationships between the etiologic factors and the clinical patterns for a better diagnostic approach fn patients with hand eczema.