Lec5 Occupational Skin Diseases

Occupational Skin Diseases By Dr. Ashraf HussainMsc. Community Medicine
Occupational skin diseases
also known as occupational dermatoses.

One of the top three occupational diseases.

caused by exposures to hazards at work .

The majority is caused by wet work, workplace exposure to chemicals and high ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Contact dermatitis are the most prevalent.


Types of hazards
chemical hazards are irritants, sensitising, photosensitising and acnegenic agents. 

Biological hazards range from bacteria, fungi, viruses, to skin parasites.

Physical hazards include rubbing, mechanical pressure, radiations and temperature.

Contact Dermatitis
Occupational dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin causing itching, pain, redness, swelling and small blisters.

Contact dermatitis is an eczematous eruption caused by external agents, which can be broadly divided into:

Irritant substances that have a direct toxic effect on the skin (irritant contact dermatitis, ICD)

Allergic chemicals where immune delayed hypersensitivity reactions occur (allergic contact dermatitis, ACD).
The symptoms and presentation of ICD and ACD are so similar, it is extremely difficult to distinguish between them without clinical testing (e.g. patch testing). 

Irritant contact dermatitis (ICD)
 is a non-immunologic reaction that manifests as an inflammation of the skin caused by direct damage to the skin following exposure to a hazardous agent.
ICD represents approximately 80% of all cases of occupational contact dermatitis.
The reaction is typically localized to the site of contact.
Patch tests are negative in ICD that has no allergic component
Common chemical agents include acids, alkalies, organic solvents and detergents.