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Additional Testing Procedures and Spot Tests

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Patch Testing and Prick Testing

Abstract

The strip patch test (SPT), proposed by Spier, is a variant of the conventional patch testing (PT) and consists of “stripping” the stratum corneum before applying the allergens in the usual way. The aim of the technique is to remove most layers of the stratum corneum and to consequently suppress the skin barrier. This technique is theoretically useful for allergens with poor penetration through the skin, for example, neomycin or eosin. It is easily performed by stripping the skin 8–12 times with a cellophane tape. A minor drawback is the fact that it could provoke by itself skin irritation interfering with the reading; nevertheless, it can be performed in well-defined conditions parallel to conventional PT. Reading of results needs caution and expertise. Until recently, the method has passed into disuse, due to its time-consuming limitations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, Catholic University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium

    Jean-Marie Lachapelle

  2. Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Howard I. Maibach

Authors
  1. Jean-Marie Lachapelle
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  2. Howard I. Maibach
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© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Lachapelle, JM., Maibach, H.I. (2012). Additional Testing Procedures and Spot Tests. In: Patch Testing and Prick Testing. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-25492-5_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-25492-5_7

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-25491-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-25492-5

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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