How to select extra allergens and problematic allergens

Patients with suspected allergic contact dermatitis often have contact allergies beyond those tested in the baseline series. It requires knowledge and experience to select the appropriate extra allergens needed to perform the optimal allergological examination of the individual patient. The allergens may be acquired from commercial suppliers and the patient’s own topical products and working material. An allergen bank is a service available for dermatologists in certain countries. Reading and interpretation of patch test results with rare allergens is challenging and exciting. The Internet provides an increasing number of excellent websites useful for the dermatologist interested in performing optimal diagnostic patch testing