[Prevalence of sensitivity to contact allergens among atopic and non atopic children without dermatitis].

Epicutaneus tests were used to study 168 children without dermatitis (aged 6 months to 14 years) divided into two groups: 88 atopic cases (53 males and 35 females) and 76 non atopic children (44 males and 31 females). Epicutaneous testing proved positive in 22.7 of atopic children, and in 17.3 por 100 of non atopic cases; there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups, and vesicular reactions predomined in both. Nickel was the contact allergen of greatest predominance among the atopic and non atopic children (17 and 9.3% respectively), followed by mercury derivatives (5.5%), neomycin (2.4%) and dichromates (1.8%).