PURPOSE: These days 5 TU purified protein derivative (PPD) is substituted with 2 TU PPD for the tuberculin skin test, a test essential in the diagnosis of tuberculosis in pediatric population. However, there had been no adequate criteria for the positivity of 2 TU PPD skin test. This study was performed to clarify the criteria of positive reactivity of 2 TU PPD skin test. The reactivity of 2 TU PPD was compared to that of 5 TU PPD. METHODS: One hundred and six medical students were tested with Mantoux method. Diameters of induration were measured 72 hours after the intradermal injections of 2 TU and 5 TU PPDs. Past history and family history of tuberculosis, history of BCG administration and the presence of BCG scar were recorded. RESULTS: One hundred and three subjects completed the study. Mean diameter of 2 TU tuberculin test was 10.3 mm and that of 5 TU test was 14.4mm, which was significantly different (P<0.001). The diameters were 0-24mm in the 2 TU test and 0-25mm in the 5 TU test. The diameter of induration in 2 TU test was positively correlated to that in 5 TU test (r2=0.63). Eighty-six subjects (83.5%) in the 2 TU test and 92 subjects (89.3%) in the 5 TU test had diameters of induration of 5mm or more; 59 (57.3%) subjects in the 2 TU test and 83 (80.6%) subjects in the 5 TU test had diameters of induration of 10 mm or more; 27 (26.2%) in the 2 TU test and 64 (62.1%) in the 5 TU test had diameters of induration of 15mm or more. Seventy-six of 103 subjects (73.7%) had greater diameters of induration in 5 TU test than in 2 TU, 22 (21.4%) had the same diameters, and 5 (4.9%) had greater diameters of induration in 2 TU test than in 5 TU test, and the last 5 subjects had indurations of more than 10mm diameter in both 2 TU and 5 TU tests. CONCLUSION: The criterion of positivity in 2 TU PPD skin test, essential for the diagnosis of tuberculosis, is different from that in 5 TU test. In this study, 6 mm or more was adequate for the criterion of positivity and 10mm or more for the criterion of strong positivity. Further studies should be done to establish a criterion for the pediatric population.
Cicatrix ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Injections, Intradermal ; Mycobacterium bovis ; Skin Tests* ; Skin* ; Students, Medical ; Tuberculin ; Tuberculin Test ; Tuberculosis

A case is reported of anaphylactoid reaction to atracurium, used for the induetion of an- esthesia for skin graft in a 36 year old man. The patient had no previous history of any allergic tendency. It is not possible to distinguish between direct pharmacological effects and immune mediated hypersensitivity reactions by clinical observation alone. The mechanism of reaction in this patient was investigated by the leukocyte histamine release test, intradermal test, direct intravenous challenge with other induction agents used during the induction of anesthesia and radioallergosorbent test. The histamine releasing property of atracurium, the distinguishing methods between ana phylactic and anaphylatoid reaction, and the anesthetic management for this kind of reaction are discussed.
Adult ; Anaphylaxis ; Anesthesia ; Atracurium* ; Histamine ; Histamine Release ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Intradermal Tests ; Leukocytes ; Radioallergosorbent Test ; Skin ; Transplants

We evaluated the correlations between the allergy skin test for house dust radioallergosorbent test (RAST) and the bronchial provocation test for revealing the sensitivity of the skin test and RAST, and for aiding in the search for the causative allergen in house dust asthmatics. There was an overall 72.5% agreement between the prick test and RAST, a 73.8% agreement between the prick test and house dust bronchoprovocation test (HD-BPT), and a 71.3% agreement between HD-BPT and RAST. A positive RAST was found with a positive HD-BPT in 71.2% of cases, and if RAST was negative, HD-BPT was negative in 46.9% of cases. 69.6% of the positive cases on prick test (more than 21 mm of erythema) were positive with RAST. All of the cases with a negative skin reaction to the prick test were negative to RAST. A positive skin test was found with a positive HD-BPT in 77.1% of cases, and if the prick test was negative, the HD-BPT was negative in 50.0% of cases. 87.5% of cases with a RAST positive exhibited a positive result with HD-BPT. A significant correlation was found between the results of prick tests and those of RASTs in the early response group of HD-BPT, but not in the late and dual response groups. There were significant correlations between total serum IgE and the results of HD-BPT, and total serum IgE value and the results of RAST. The greater the size of the prick test, the greater the likelihood of a positive HD-BPT. All 5 cases with an end point of intradermal skin test of a 5 degrees -5(-l) X 10(-2) dilution of house dust noted a negative HD-BPT. There was no significant correlation between total serum IgE and total eosinophil count. There was no significant correlation between wheal and erythema size of prick test and PC20 of methacholine.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Asthma/diagnosis* ; Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Dust/adverse effects* ; Female ; Human ; Intradermal Tests ; Male ; Middle Age ; Radioallergosorbent Test ; Respiratory Hypersensitivity/diagnosis*

BACKGROUND: Hypersensitivity to penicillin has been studied worldwide, but data regarding patterns of sensitization in Arabian Gulf countries are scarce. OBJECTIVE: To describe the patterns of penicillin hypersensitivity during a 6-year study in Kuwait in terms of demographics, type of the culprit drug, in vivo and in vitro allergy testing. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-four patients referred to the drug allergy clinic for penicillin allergy were fully evaluated by skin prick and intradermal testing. Drug provocation test was done on patients with negative results. RESULTS: A total of 124 patients were evaluated for penicillin allergy. Mean age was 37.8 (standard deviation, 12.7) years, range from 8 to 74 years. Thirty-nine male (31.5%) and 85 female patients (68.5%) were included. Diagnosis of penicillin allergy was confirmed in 46 patients (37.1%). Among the 44 confirmed allergic patients by skin evaluation we had 15 (34.1%) positive skin prick test, and 29 (65.9%) positive intradermal testing. Among patients with positive skin testing, 47.7% were positive to major determinant benzylpenicilloyl poly-L-lysine, 20.4% to minor determinant mixture, 50.0% to penicillin G and 40.9% to ampicillin; 13.6% of patients were positive to amoxicillin by skin prick test. One patient had a positive radioallergosorbent test and one had a positive challenge test. CONCLUSION: Penicillin allergy is a common problem with an incidence of about one third in our study subjects.
Amoxicillin ; Ampicillin ; Demography ; Diagnosis ; Drug Hypersensitivity ; Female ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; In Vitro Techniques ; Incidence ; Intradermal Tests ; Kuwait ; Male ; Penicillin G ; Penicillins ; Radioallergosorbent Test ; Skin ; Skin Tests

We present herein a 36-year-old female patient with cutaneous sarcoidosis resulting from scars produced by blepharoplasty and trauma in the past. The patient showed multiple nodules in the scar areas simultaneously and there was no evidence of systemic involvement. Diagnosis of sarcoidosis was confirmed by histological findings of biopsy and Kveim test.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Blepharoplasty ; Cicatrix* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Kveim Test ; Sarcoidosis

A case of cutaneous sarcoidosis in the 66 year-old Korean female patient is presented. She shows typical skin manifestations of plaque type in the absence of other common objective evidence of systemic involvement. Diagnosis was confirmed by charcteristic histological findings and positive Kveim test with the support of other compatible clinical and biochemical findings. She had been followed up for 3 years since the first visiting. Recently chest X-ray, slit lamp examination and skin biopsies were taken again, but failed to reveal any significant interval changes.
Aged ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Kveim Test ; Sarcoidosis* ; Skin ; Skin Manifestations ; Thorax

A night blood survey was carried out among inhabitants aged over 1 year from the fifteen villages throughout Cheju-Do (Quelpart Island). Blood films from 2,139 persons were examined and 183(8.6 percent) showed microfilariae, the incidences varying according to geographical sources are from 0.8 to 19.5 per cent. All the microfilariae found in this survey were of the nocturnal periodic Brugia malayi. The microfilarial density was 1.9 per cent of blood. The age and sex distributions of microfilaria rate in Cheju-Do were not distinctly different. On the other hand, the intradermal test using Dirofilaria antigen (FPT antigen) and clinical survey of filariasis were also undertaken in same areas of microfilaria survey. Out of 2,449 inhabitants examined 1,434(58.6 percent) persons showed positive reaction of skin test, 503(20.5 percent) persons have clinical manifestations and 112 (4.6 percent) persons showed elephantiasis . It is assumed that Aedes togoi may be the most probable vector of B. malayi in the areas of Cheju-Do.
parasitology ; helminth ; nematoda ; Brugia malayi ; epidemiolgy ; filariasis ; intradermal test ; blood

Food allergy is defined as reaction to a food which has an immunologic mechanism. Its prevalence is increasing in children globally and is therefore of increasing clinical importance. A useful clinical approach is to distinguish food allergic reactions by the timing of clinical reaction in relation to food exposure and classified as immediate (generally IgE-mediated) and delayed (generally non-IgE-mediated), with the exception of eczema and eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease, which, when associated with food allergy may be associated with either mechanism. This review is aimed at providing the clinician with a Singaporean perspective on the clinical approach and management of these disorders.
Breast Feeding ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Eczema ; diagnosis ; immunology ; Food Hypersensitivity ; diagnosis ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity, Delayed ; diagnosis ; prevention & control ; Immunoglobulin E ; blood ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Skin Test End-Point Titration

No abstract available.
Hypersensitivity* ; Intradermal Tests*

Dermographism is an exaggerated triple response of Lewis and appears as a lineat wheal with a flare at a site in which skin is briskIy stroked with a firm object. The etiology and pathogenesis of dermographism are uncertain but passive transfer tests are sometimes poeitive. The active serum factor has been characteiized as Ig E in some patients. In this experimental study, we tried passive transfer of dermographism with the sera of the patients with dermographism. Twelve dermographic patients' sera were tested to fourteen normal healthy persons and two asymptomatic dermographic persons, total number of thirty nine cases. Only two recipients were passively transferred but they showed positive responses to all sera tested, two and three respectively. This result suggests that not only serum factor but also recipient's factor(s) may be concerned in passive transfer of dermographism.
Humans ; Intradermal Tests ; Skin ; Stroke