Foot dermatitis in children.

Redness and scaling of the feet in prepubertal children is likely to represent a skin disease other than tinea pedis. If the dermatitis involves the dorsum of the feet, allergic contact dermatitis is a likely cause. In this study, 8/19 (42%) children with involvement of the dorsum of the feet had clinically relevant positive patch tests related to shoe allergens. All who avoided the allergens remained free of disease on a 2-year follow-up examination. Those children with dermatitis on the weight-bearing surface of the foot (juvenile plantar dermatosis) did not have positive patch tests (P = .15).