[Infantile haemangioma: clinical and demographic characteristics, experiences in the treatment]. / Infantilis haemangioma: klinikai és demográfiai jellemzok, kezelési-gondozási tapasztalatok.

INTRODUCTION: Infantile haemangiomas are the most common vascular tumours of infancy. The vast majority of the lesions do not require dermatological treatment due to their unique clinical course and the high rate of spontaneous regression. Approximately 10-15% of the tumours result in severe complications and sequale, requiring special management and close follow-up. AIM: The aim of the present study was to assess the data of the patients treated with infantile haemangiomas, and to summarize the results of the therapy during 4.5 years of study period, in the Paediatric Dermatology Outpatient Clinic of the Department of Dermatology and Allergology, at the University of Szeged. METHOD: Demographic data of the infants (gender, gestational age and weight, perinatal history of the infant and medical history of mothers), exact date of the visits at Paediatric Dermatology Outpatient Clinic and tumour characteristics (number, subtype, anatomical localisation and complications) were analysed in details. Treatment modalities and therapy intervals, outcomes and the adverse events of the therapies were also discussed in the survey. RESULTS: During the study period, 96 infants with 163 infantile haemangiomas were observed. 54 patients required regular observations, while 42 infants required local or systemic beta-blocker therapy. All of the tumours treated with local or systemic therapy showed marked clinical regression; adverse effects were observed in only 6 cases. The gestational age and gestational weight of infants requiring beta-blocker therapy was significantly lower as compared to children needed only observation. CONCLUSIONS: Systemic propranolol is currently the first-line treatment modality for complicated infantile haemangiomas. Our results confirm the significant therapeutic efficacy of propranolol. Early introduction of the treatment is relevant; unfortunately a great proportion of patients are referred late to Paediatric Dermatology Centres. Orv Hetil. 2017; 158(39): 1535-1544.

Iatrogenic Skin Disorders and Related Factors in Newborn Infants.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Recent technological advances and diagnostic and therapeutic innovations have resulted in an impressive improvement in the survival of newborn infants requiring intensive care. Consequently, with the use of modern invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, the incidence of iatrogenic events has also increased. The aim of this study was to assess various iatrogenic complications in neonates requiring intensive care and determine possible contributing factors to the injuries. METHODS: Our prospective cross-sectional cohort survey was conducted in a central regional level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Correlations between intensive therapeutic interventions, complications, factors influencing attendance and prognosis, and the prevalence of iatrogenic skin injuries (ISIs) were investigated over a 2-year study period. RESULTS: Between January 31, 2012, and January 31, 2014, 460 neonates were admitted to the NICU, 83 of whom exhibited some kind of ISI. The major risk factors for ISIs were low birthweight, young gestational age, long NICU stay, use of the intubation-surfactant-extubation (INSURE) technique, surfactant use, mechanical ventilation, insertion of an umbilical arterial catheter, circulatory and cardiac support with dopamine or dobutamine, pulmonary hemorrhage, intracranial hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and positive microbiology culture results. CONCLUSION: To prevent ISIs, careful consideration of risk factors and the creation of protocols ensuring efficient treatment of injuries are needed.

Overview of dermatologic disorders of neonates in a central regional intensive care unit in Hungary.

The immaturity and vulnerability of the skin and epidermal barrier function and the frequent iatrogenic complications following diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are often associated with skin manifestations in infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The aim of the current study was to investigate dermatologic disorders in neonates in our NICU. A prospective cohort study was conducted in the NICU at the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Szeged between January 2012 and January 2013. All full- and preterm infants hospitalized in the NICU underwent whole-body skin examinations and all dermatologic disorders and treatment modalities were recorded. Eighty-nine dermatologic conditions were detected in 64 of the 211 neonates admitted to the NICU. A wide variety of clinical symptoms accompanied these conditions in these preterm and severely ill full-term infants. A considerable proportion of the disorders that were seen resulted from the immaturity of the skin and various iatrogenic complications. Dermatologic disorders are frequent in neonates requiring intensive care. Prevention, early detection, and optimal treatment of these disorders with modern, standardized skin care management strategies can result in significant improvements in barrier function and in the integrity of the skin, increasing the overall efficacy of neonatal intensive care.

[Neonatal skin care in tertiary Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Hungary]. / Borápolási gyakorlat a Neonatális Intenzív Centrumokban Magyarországon.

INTRODUCTION: Skin physiology of neonates and preterm infants and evidence-based skin care are not well explored for health care providers. AIM: The aim of our present study was to investigate the skin care methods of the tertiary Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Hungary. METHOD: A standardized questionnaire was distributed among the 22 tertiary Neonatal Intensive Care Units with questions regarding skin care methods, bathing, emollition, skin disinfection, umbilical cord care, treatment of diaper dermatitis, and use of adhesive tapes. RESULTS: The skin care methods of the centres were similar in several aspects, but there were significant differences between the applied skin care and disinfectant products. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this survey facilitate the establishment of a standardized skin care protocol for tertiary Neonatal Intensive Care Units with the cooperation of dermatologists, neonatologists and pharmacists.

[Birth marks and neonatal skin disorders. From angel kiss to epidermolysis bullosa]. / Születési jegyek, újszülöttkori borelváltozások. Az angyalcsóktól az epidermolysis bullosáig.

INTRODUCTION: At present there are no exact epidemiologic data on the prevalence of neonatal skin disorders and birth marks in Hungary. AIM: The aim of the authors was to investigate the prevalence of skin disorders in mature healthy neonates after birth. METHOD: The survey was carried out in the Neonatal Care Unit at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Szeged between April, 2012 and May, 2013. RESULTS: A total of 2289 newborn infants underwent whole-body screening skin examinations. At least one skin manifestation was found in 63% of the neonates. The major groups of skin disorders were transient benign cutaneous lesions, vascular lesions, pigmented lesions, traumatic, iatrogenic, congenital or acquired disorders with skin injuries, developmental abnormalities and benign skin tumours. The most frequent transient cutaneous lesions were erythema toxicum neonatorum, sebaceous hyperplasia and desquamation. The most common vascular lesions were naevus simplex, haemangioma and haemangioma precursor lesion, while the most frequently observed pigmented lesions were congenital melanocytic naevi and Mongolian spot. CONCLUSIONS: In the vast majority of cases, special treatment was not necessary, but 5.27% of the neonates required local dermatologic therapy, and in 9.2% of neonates follow up was recommended.

Analysis of various factors influencing the development of birthmarks and cutaneous lesions in newborn infants / A születési jegyek és az újszülöttkori borgyógyászati elváltozások kialakulásában szerepet játszó tényezok vizsgálata.

Összefoglaló. Bevezetés: A szakirodalomban számos felmérés született az újszülöttkori borelváltozások elofordulási gyakoriságának vizsgálatára. Az epidemiológiai vizsgálatok eredményei azonban nem mindig adaptálhatók, hiszen jelentos különbségeket találunk az egyes népcsoportok bormanifesztációi között, emellett kevés és ellentmondásos adat áll rendelkezésre arról, hogy milyen tényezok befolyásolják ezen bortünetek kialakulását. Célkituzés: Prospektív kohorszvizsgálatunk fo célkituzése az volt, hogy felmérjük az alapvetoen egészséges, érett újszülöttek borgyógyászati elváltozásainak elofordulási gyakoriságát, illetve megvizsgáljuk az ezen elváltozások kialakulásában szerepet játszó tényezoket. Módszer: Vizsgálatunkat a Szegedi Tudományegyetem Szülészeti és Nogyógyászati Klinikájának Újszülött Osztályán végeztük 2014 áprilisa és 2015 áprilisa között. Az újszülöttek borgyógyászati vizsgálatát követoen az édesanyák 50 kérdést tartalmazó, standardizált kérdoívet töltöttek ki. Az újszülöttekre, illetve a szülés körülményeire vonatkozó adatokat a hivatalos betegdokumentáció adatainak felhasználásával elemeztük. Eredmények: A vizsgálatban összesen 1629, kaukázusi típusú újszülött vett részt. 88,15%-uknál diagnosztizáltunk legalább egyfajta borgyógyászati eltérést. Vizsgálatunkban számos esetben szignifikáns korrelációt találtunk az újszülöttek neme, gestatiós kora és súlya, valamint az újszülöttkori borelváltozások elofordulási gyakorisága között. Emellett a szociodemográfiai tényezok, a szülok fenotípusos jellegzetességei, az édesanya betegségei, gyógyszerszedési szokásai, káros szenvedélyei is hatást gyakorolhatnak a laesiók kialakulására. Következtetés: Az irodalmi adatok áttekintését követoen elmondhatjuk, hogy vizsgálatunk rendkívül átfogó, új adatokat szolgáltat a neonatalis bortünetek elofordulási gyakoriságáról és a kialakulásukban potenciálisan szerepet játszó tényezok kapcsolatáról hazánkban és világviszonylatban is. Orv Hetil. 2022; 163(13): 513-522. INTRODUCTION: Cutaneous lesions are very frequent in neonates. Despite the fact that the incidence of neonatal skin disorders has been reported in several studies, very few reports address the factors that influence the appearance of birthmarks. OBJECTIVE: In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to record cutaneous findings in essentially healthy, term and late preterm neonates, and to use this data to assess the associations between various factors and the appearance of birthmarks. METHOD: The study was conducted on consecutive neonates born between April 2014 and April 2015 at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Szeged. After the whole-body skin examination, a standardized questionnaire consisting of 50 questions was completed by the mothers. Data relating to the neonatal history of the participating neonates were obtained from the official neonatal medical charts. RESULTS: A total of 1629 Caucasian neonates were included in the study. Of these, 88.15% exhibited at least one skin manifestation. Significant correlations were found between the newborn gender, gestational age and weight and the presence of many skin manifestations. Furthermore, sociodemographic factors, parental phenotypic characteristics, maternal diseases and medicine-taking habits also have impact on the development of certain cutaneous lesions. CONCLUSION: By examining a large number of newborns and by providing detailed analysis of several neonatal, perinatal and parental factors, our study contributes to a deeper understanding of the development of the examined cutaneous lesions. Orv Hetil. 2022; 163(13): 513-522.

New Treatment Option for Capillary Lymphangioma: Bleomycin-Based Electrochemotherapy of an Infant.

The treatment of microcystic and combined lymphangiomas, especially in the head and neck region, is still a challenge because the lymphangiomas do not respond to conventional therapies and their recurrence rate is high, regardless of the treatment choice. Complete surgical resection is the main treatment of lymphangiomas, but because of localization perioperative complications, such as bleeding, neural damage and airway obstruction are common disadvantages of this method. Bleomycin-based sclerotherapy is another common therapeutic approach, in which the lymphocysts are aspirated, and 25% to 50% of their volumes are replaced with a sclerotisant drug. This is an effective treatment in cases in which the vessels are large enough for an intravascular or intracystic injection, but because of the small size of vessels and cysts, the microcystic and combined lymphangiomas are not suitable for sclerotherapy. Delivery of drugs for treating sclerosis to endothelial cells can be achieved by electroporation (electrochemotherapy), even for capillary malformations. A congenital, rapidly growing combined lymphangioma of the left cervicofacial region was treated with one session of bleomycin-based electrochemotherapy. Seven months after treatment, the growth-corrected target volume decrease was 63% and the dislocation of the trachea and blood vessels previously observed had ceased. We suggest that bleomycin-based electrochemotherapy is a feasible alternative treatment option for capillary malformations.

[Successful treatment of facial angiofibromas with local sirolimus in childhood in Bourneville-Pringle disease]. / Lokális szirolimuszterápia sikeres alkalmazása facialis angiofibromák kezelésére Bourneville­Pringle-kórban szenvedo gyermekeken.

Facial angiofibroma is the characteristic symptom and also a major diagnostic criterion for Bourneville-Pringle disease. The centrofacially localized hamartomatous tumours start to appear in early childhood, and progress over time. Facial angiofibromas represent a significant cosmetological problem for the patients and a therapeutic challenge for the physician. Beside the traditional invasive treating methods, topical sirolimus is a new, promising and well-tolerated treatment modality. Several studies and case reports have been published on this new therapeutic approach, but recommendation for the optimal sirolimus concentration still does not exist. We report here two cases when children were successfully treated with topical sirolimus. Orv Hetil. 2019; 160(13): 516-520.

[The prevalence of melanocytic naevi among teenagers]. / A festéksejtes anyajegyek elofordulása tinédzsereken.

UNLABELLED: Malignant melanoma is an increasing public health problem worldwide; accordingly, identification of the constitutional and environmental factors which contribute to the development of the disease, and hence identification of the individuals at high risk of melanoma, are indispensable steps in all primary prevention efforts. AIM: The objective of the present study was to assess the prevalence of different pigmented lesions among schoolchildren, and to investigate their relationship with phenotypic pigmentary characteristics, sun exposure and other factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in two secondary schools in Szeged, Hungary. A total of 1320 schoolchildren, aged 14 to 18 years, underwent a whole-body skin examination. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect data on phenotypic, sun exposure and other variables. RESULTS: Between 1-10 common melanocytic naevi were found in 27% of the participants, and naevi numbers were in the range between 10-100 in 67%. 5.4% of them had more than 100 common melanocytic naevi. The prevalence of clinically atypical naevi was 24.3%. Congenital naevi were detected in 6.2% of the schoolchildren. A statistically significant association was found between the number of pigmented lesions and gender, hair colour, eye colour, skin phototype, the history of severe painful sunburns, and the family history of a large number of melanocytic naevi. CONCLUSIONS: Our study population displayed a markedly high prevalence of clinically atypical melanocytic naevi. Moreover, a considerable proportion of the investigated individuals had multiple common melanocytic naevi. Since the presence of large number of melanocytic naevi is a strong predictor for future melanoma development, health educational programmes on melanoma prevention should be aimed at young age groups.

Lesions requiring wound management in a central tertiary neonatal intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: Most of the skin disorders that occur in neonatal intensive care units are due in part to the immaturity and vulnerability of the neonatal skin. Various iatrogenic diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are also conducive to iatrogenic damage. This study was to review the neonates admitted to our neonatal intensive care unit who needed wound management, and to assess the most common skin injuries and wounds, and their aetiology. METHODS: Data were extracted from medical records of neonates who needed wound management in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit between January 31, 2012 and January 31, 2013. Information about gestational age, sex, birth weight, area of involvement, wound aetiology, and therapy were collected. RESULTS: Among the 211 neonates observed, wound management was required in 10 cases of diaper dermatitis, 7 epidermal stripping, 6 extravasation injuries, 5 pressure ulcers, 1 surgical wound and infection, 1 thermal burn, and 5 other lesions. CONCLUSIONS: International guidelines in neonatal wound care practice are not available, and further research concerns are clearly needed. Dressings and antiseptic agents should be chosen with great care for application to neonates, with particular attention to the prevention of adverse events in this sensitive population. Team work among dermatologists, neonatologists and nurses is crucial for the successful treatment of neonates.

Cutaneous lesions and disorders in healthy neonates and their relationships with maternal-neonatal factors: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous lesions are very common in neonates. Although a number of studies have reported on their incidence, very little is known about the factors that influence them. We set out to investigate a large population of neonates with the aims of achieving an overall picture of neonatal skin manifestations, and examining their relationships with various maternal, neonatal and perinatal factors. METHODS: This study was conducted on neonates born at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Szeged between June 2013 and July 2015. A total of 4658 consecutive infants underwent a whole-body skin examination within the first 72 hours of extrauterine life. The official neonatal medical charts were used to collect data on the history of the participating neonates and on maternal factors. RESULTS: 74.35% of the neonates exhibited at least one skin manifestation. The major diagnosis groups were transient, benign cutaneous lesions; vascular lesions; traumatic, iatrogenic, congenital or acquired disorders with skin injuries; pigmented lesions; and developmental abnormalities or benign skin tumours. The relationships between the skin findings and six neonatal or maternal factors were examined: gender, gestational age and birth weight of the neonates; maternal age and the number of previous pregnancies of the mothers, and mode and circumstances of the delivery. CONCLUSIONS: We found several significant correlations between the examined maternal/neonatal factors and the occurrence of birthmarks and neonatal skin disorders. Of course, further studies are required to confirm and better understand these associations.

Delineating the genetic heterogeneity of OCA in Hungarian patients.

BACKGROUND: Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is a clinically and genetically heterogenic group of pigmentation abnormalities characterized by variable hair, skin, and ocular hypopigmentation. Six known genes and a locus on human chromosome 4q24 have been implicated in the etiology of isolated OCA forms (OCA 1-7). METHODS: The most frequent OCA types among Caucasians are OCA1, OCA2, and OCA4. We aimed to investigate genes responsible for the development of these OCA forms in Hungarian OCA patients (n = 13). Mutation screening and polymorphism analysis were performed by direct sequencing on TYR, OCA2, SLC45A2 genes. RESULTS: Although the clinical features of the investigated Hungarian OCA patients were identical, the molecular genetic data suggested OCA1 subtype in eight cases and OCA4 subtype in two cases. The molecular diagnosis was not clearly identifiable in three cases. In four patients, two different heterozygous known pathogenic or predicted to be pathogenic mutations were present. Seven patients had only one pathogenic mutation, which was associated with non-pathogenic variants in six cases. In two patients no pathogenic mutation was identified. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the concomitant screening of the non-pathogenic variants-which alone do not cause the development of OCA, but might have clinical significance in association with a pathogenic variant-is important. Our results also show significant variation in the disease spectrum compared to other populations. These data also confirm that the concomitant analysis of OCA genes is critical, providing new insights to the phenotypic diversity of OCA and expanding the mutation spectrum of OCA genes in Hungarian patients.

PUVA treatment of the nasal cavity improves the clinical symptoms of allergic rhinitis and inhibits the immediate-type hypersensitivity reaction in the skin.

We earlier reported that intranasal irradiation with the 308 nm xenon chloride (XeCl) ultraviolet-B laser and irradiation with a combination of ultraviolet-B (UVB), ultraviolet-A (UVA) and visible light (VIS) is highly effective in the treatment of allergic rhinitis and inhibit the immediate-type hypersensitivity reaction in the skin. Since photochemotherapy with 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) plus UVA light (PUVA) is widely used in the treatment of different inflammatory skin disorders due to its immunosuppressive effect, in the present study we investigated the efficacy of intranasal PUVA treatment in allergic rhinitis and the effect of PUVA treatment on the skin prick test (SPT) reaction. An open study was performed in 17 patients with hay fever. Intranasal PUVA therapy was given four times weekly for 3 weeks. The treatment was started with a fluence of 0.5x of the individual minimal phototoxic dose (MPD) and the dosages were gradually increased. Evaluation was based on the symptom scores. The effect of PUVA treatment on the allergen-induced wheal formation was also studied in the SPT. PUVA treatment of the nasal cavity significantly decreased the nasal symptoms of the patients with allergic rhinitis. Treatment of the skin with PUVA also significantly suppressed the allergen-induced wheal formation in the SPT reaction. These data suggest that intranasal PUVA phototherapy is also an effective modality in the treatment of allergic rhinitis.

Pharmacological Targeting of the Epidermal Barrier.

The most important function of the skin is to form a barrier between the body and the external environment. The epidermal barrier prevents transepidermal water loss from the skin, but also serves as a barrier to the entry of harmful environmental allergic, toxic or infectious substances. Inherited defects in the genes encoding the components of the epidermal barrier result in the development of rare genetic disorders, whereas polymorphisms in these genes together with environmental factors cause frequent inflammatory skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis. In this review, components of the skin-barrier function will be reviewed with special emphasis on how the altered epidermal barrier might be repaired. The different strategies to increase the transdermal penetration of drugs is also discussed.

[Intranasal phototherapy for the treatment of allergic rhinitis]. / Intranasalis fototerápia az allergiãs rhinitis kezelésében.

INTRODUCTION: Allergic rhinitis is a frequent disease, accompanied by significant social-economic costs and a negative impact on the quality of life. Phototherapy has a profound immunosuppressive effect and is effectively used in the treatment of several immune mediated skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis. AIMS: The authors investigated the efficacy of intranasal phototherapy with a combination of low doses of ultraviolet-B, ultraviolet-A and visible light in allergic rhinitis. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted in patients with a history of at least 2 years of moderate to severe ragweed-induced allergic rhinitis that was not controlled by anti-allergic drugs. Intranasal phototherapy was performed 3 times a week for 3 weeks. As placebo low intensity visible light was used. RESULTS: Phototherapy resulted in a significant improvement of clinical symptoms for nasal itching, rhinorrhea, sneezing and total nasal score. Scores for nasal obstruction slightly improved during phototherapy while a significant increased was found in the placebo group. In the overall efficacy assessment, both patients and investigators found phototherapy significantly more efficient than placebo. Phototherapy was well tolerated, the only side effect was the slight dryness of the nasal mucosa. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that intranasal phototherapy is effective for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, and opens up new opportunities for the treatment of immune-mediated mucosal diseases.

Inhibition of immediate type hypersensitivity reaction by combined irradiation with ultraviolet and visible light.

Recently we found that ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation in erythematous doses significantly inhibited the immediate type hypersensibility reaction in the skin. In the present study we investigated the effects of different wavelengths on the skin prick test reaction (SPT). The forearm of ragweed allergic patients was irradiated with increasing doses of ultraviolet A (UVA), visible light (VIS) or combined UVB, UVA and VIS light, referred to as mUV/VIS. SPTs were performed 24 h after irradiation both on irradiated and non-irradiated control skin areas using ragweed extract. UVA and VIS irradiation led to a slight, not significant inhibition of allergen-induced wheal formation. Mixed irradiation with mUV/VIS light resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of the allergen-induced wheal formation. The inhibition was significant already at suberythematous doses. As there is a good correlation between SPT and the nasal symptoms in patients with hay fever these data suggest that phototherapy with mUV/VIS light might be an effective and safe treatment modality for immediate type hypersensibility reactions in the skin and nasal mucosa.

Intranasal irradiation with the xenon chloride ultraviolet B laser improves allergic rhinitis.

We earlier reported that the 308 nm xenon chloride (XeCl) ultraviolet B (UVB) laser is highly effective for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases. Since UVB irradiation has been shown to exert both local and systemic immunosuppression, we investigated the clinical efficacy of UVB irradiation in allergic rhinitis. In an open study, groups of patients with severe allergic rhinitis received intranasal irradiation with a 308 nm XeCl UVB excimer laser for two weeks. In the low-dose group (n=10), treatment was given twice weekly, starting with 0.25x the individual minimal erythema dose (MED), whereas patients in the medium-dose group (n=8) were treated four times weekly, starting with 0.4x MED. In each group, the dosage was gradually increased. Evaluation was based on the symptom scores. The effect of the XeCl laser on the skin prick test reaction was also studied. In the low-dose group, seven patients completed the study, and there was no improvement in the nasal symptoms. In the medium-dose group, the XeCl UVB irradiation significantly inhibited the rhinorrhoea, the sneezing, the nasal obstruction and the total nasal score (p<0.05). The XeCl UVB excimer laser also inhibited the allergen-induced skin prick test in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that the XeCl UVB excimer laser might serve as a new therapeutic tool in the treatment of allergic rhinitis.

[Investigation of the delayed type hypersensitivity reaction in atopic patients]. / A késói típusú túlérzékenység vizsgálata atópiás egyénekben.

INTRODUCTION: In the last decades the prevalence of atopic diseases has increased highly in developed countries. Although the reasons for this increase are not clear, it has been hypothesized that a reduction in infections and immunization programs may contribute to the increased prevalence of atopic diseases. AIM: In the present study the relationship between tuberculin response and atopic disease was investigated. METHODS: A total of 1012 children vaccinated with BCG were included in the study. All the children were given five tuberculin units PPD, and PPD indurations were recorded after 72 h. The test result was considered to be positive if the induration size was greater than 9 mm. The atopic anamnesis (atopic dermatitis, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, asthma, urticaria) in the children and their families were investigated using a questionnaire. RESULTS: 608 individual (60.1%) had positive and 404 (39.9%) had negative tuberculin test. Positive atopic personal anamnesis was found in 31.74% in children with positive tuberculin skin test, whereas 39.85% was found in children with negative tuberculin test (p < 0.009, Fischer-test). Similarly more positive family anamnesis for atopic diseases was found among children with negative tuberculin test. In children with negative tuberculin test the prevalence of allergic conjunctivitis and rhinitis was significantly higher as compared to the group with positive tuberculin test. CONCLUSIONS: The authors found an inverse correlation between tuberculin response and atopy status. The observed decreased tuberculin sensitivity in atopic individuals is, however, probably not the cause, but rather the consequence of the disturbed immune regulation in atopic diseases.