Compositae Dermatitis in Denmark
Chief Physician, Ph.D. Evy Paulsen, from Odense University Hospital and the University of Southern Denmark, will defend her thesis on Compositae dermatitis on October 11th. Compositae dermatitis is an allergic skin reaction that occurs upon contact with plants from the Asteraceae family (Compositae). This plant family is one of the largest in the world.
Compositae dermatitis is an allergic skin reaction that occurs upon contact with plants from the Asteraceae family (Compositae). This plant family is one of the largest in the world and includes well-known plants such as sunflower, daisy, dandelion, Bellis, lettuce, and artichoke. The main allergens in this family are sesquiterpene lactones, which exist in thousands of variants.
Compositae dermatitis was first described in the United States as a rash that appears in the summer on skin areas not covered by clothing, such as the face, neck, hands, and forearms. The diagnosis is made by performing patch tests, where small amounts of allergen are placed on the back under a patch. Due to the numerous species and allergens in the Asteraceae family, there is no single allergen that can identify all cases. Therefore, mixtures of allergens, plant extracts, or fresh plants are used for testing.
Between 1990 and 2019, 14,728 patients were tested at the Department of Dermatology and Allergy Center at Odense University Hospital. Here, a prevalence of Compositae allergy of 3.9% was found. Most allergy sufferers were middle-aged women, but the allergy was also common in children and young people, especially those with childhood eczema (atopic dermatitis).
Among Danish patients, Compositae dermatitis appeared in three main forms:
- Localized eczema on the hands or face
- Eczema on skin not covered by clothing, and
- Eczema that started locally and later spread.
Studies showed that allergens from Asteraceae plants could spread through the air or via plant-based creams, such as those containing chamomile or arnica (golden flower).
These different routes of exposure to allergens may explain the various forms of eczema and make the diagnosis more challenging. Therefore, testing should be tailored to the individual patient’s exposure to plants to make the correct diagnosis.
Doctoral Thesis: Compositae dermatitis in Denmark: Aspects of diagnosis, prevalence, clinical features, and allergen exposure
Evy Paulsen is a chief physician at the Department of Dermatology and Allergy Center at Odense University Hospital and a visiting researcher at the Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark.
Evy Paulsen will defend her doctoral thesis, “Compositae dermatitis in Denmark: Aspects of diagnosis, prevalence, clinical features, and allergen exposure,” on October 11, 2024, at 14:00 in Dialogen, Nyt SUND, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M.
Meet the researcher
Evy Paulsen is a chief physician at the Department of Dermatology and Allergy Center at Odense University Hospital and a visiting researcher at the Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark.