Contact allergy testing alternatives: 1996.

The recent release of an easy-to-apply patch test system has made standard patch testing more practical for the busy office practitioner. This is an important advance since contact dermatitis is being increasingly recognized as a major cause of eczema recalcitrant to treatment. The identification of responsible allergens is, however, only the first step in helping the patient with contact allergy. This review lists appropriate alternative materials that can safely be used on persons allergic to each material on the standard tray of allergens.