Children come up with all types of reasons to stay home from school. If your daughter tells you that the backs of her legs itch when in school, she may be right because something in school is causing the problem.
Nickel is a metal that's a frequent cause of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). ACD in children typically causes an itchy rash that is red, raised, sometimes scaly, and usually appears on earlobes (especially after ear piercing), the neck, wrists, and below the belly button (often from the metal buttons on pants). If the child scratches the rash it may become infected.
Recently, doctors have reported on ACD in a new area ‚ the posterior thighs. The rash appears in the fall and spring, resolving in the winter and summer.
Some detective work isolated the problem ‚ nickel-containing grommets on the seats of school chairs. The rash disappeared in the winter because the children wore long pants and in the summer because they were not in school. Treatment is pretty straightforward ‚ avoidance of the allergen (nickel) and hydrocortisone.
Cutis, 7/04.
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