Prevalence of contact allergy to corticosteroids in a Danish patient population

Background: Allergic contact dermatitis to corticosteroids can be a challenging diagnosis as corticosteroids are used in the treatment of dermatitis. The prevalence of contact allergy to corticosteroid varies between previous studies. Objective: To study the prevalence of sensitization to budesonide, tixocortol-21-pivalate and hydrocortisone-17-butyrate in a Danish patient population from 2006-2020, cross-sensitization, risk factors and clinical relevance. Methods: A retrospective analysis of patch test data and MOAHLFA index was performed among 6823 patients consecutively patch tested with TRUE test as part of the baseline series. Results: A positive patch test for corticosteroids was found in 185 patients (1.2% budesonide, 1.6% tixocortol-21-pivalate, 1.0% hydrocortisone-17-butyrate) without gender difference. For women, the prevalence of tixocortol-21-pivalate sensitization increased significantly from 1.3% in 2006–2008 to 2.9% in 2018–2020. Tixocortol-21-pivalate sensitization had more frequently clinical relevance in women (61.3%) compared to men (34.5%). Age above 40 years was positively associated to corticosteroid sensitization. Budesonide and hydrocortisone-17-butyrate accounted for 67.7% of co-sensitizations. Conclusions: The prevalence of corticosteroid sensitization was 2.7%. Age was the only risk factor for corticosteroid sensitization. The frequency of corticosteroid sensitization was stabile over time except for tixocortol-21-pivalate sensitization for women. About one third of sensitized patients had co-sensitizations to other corticosteroid groups.