Hand eczema: the atopic subject and work.

Of the large number of young persons entering the work force each year, few choose their work with more than cursory consideration of their physical ability to perform it. This is especially true of atopic persons. When the first manifestation of the disease is hand eczema triggered by the first work experience, often after the subject has undergone many months of training, the answer becomes very difficult. It often requires a job change, with accompanying economic and personal loss. When the work is responsible for aggravation or activation of the condition, the entire gamut of social services comes into play, including medical, legal, rehabilitation, and workers compensation. These lead, after months and often years, to job changes that may or may not alleviate or ameliorate the condition. For these reasons dermatologists need to have greater awareness of the position of the atopic subject in the workplace.