A comprehensive clinical examination is the basis for selecting further diagnostic steps:
- General physical examination – including blood pressure, pulse, body weight, height; further:
- Inspection (viewing) of the skin
- [Leading symptoms of acute allergic contact dermatitis:
- Rapid appearance of a sharply defined erythema (extensive reddening of the skin) at the site of contact with the substance, possibly with signs of abrasion, itchy vesicles with crusting and desquamation]
- [Leading symptoms of chronic allergic contact dermatitis:
- Hyperkeratosis (excessive keratinization).
- Lichenification (thickening / coarsening of the skin fielding).
- Rhagades (fissures; narrow, cleft-shaped tear that cuts through all layers of the epidermis (epidermal layer)).
- Skin lesions are rather blurred borders, the skin texture coarsens]
- [Leading symptoms of acute allergic contact dermatitis:
- Inspection (viewing) of the skin
- Dermatological examination [due topossible secondary diseases: Chronification of eczema, superinfection (here: overgrowth with bacteria, fungi, etc.)].
- Health check
Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.
