Abstract
Background: Skin testing is a mainstay in allergology, and its importance is increasing in several fields. The ability to choose the most suitable technique according to the clinical setting is an advantage for the medical team. Objectives: To describe in detail an alternative technique of the coetaneous allergy test (skin scrape test) conceived as a variation of the former skin scratch test; to evaluate its value as a tool for diagnosis of immune sensitization; and to compare its accuracy with the skin prick test. Methods: The skin scrape test and skin prick test were performed side by side with the same allergen extracts in 162 human subjects classified in two groups according to the known presence or absence of serum specific-IgE to these allergens. Results: The sensitivity of the skin scrape test to detect immediate reactions was 85.0%. The sensitivity of the skin prick test was 86.5%. The sensitivity of both techniques analyzed together as a unique procedure was 94.2%. The specificity of the skin scrape test was 90.1%.The specificity of the skin prick test was 72.9%.The specificity of both tests analyzed together as a unique procedure was 70.5%. Conclusions: The skin scrape test is an alternative and complementary technique for allergic skin testing, and it is able to detect IgE-specific immune sensitization without the disadvantages of the skin scratch test. The skin scrape test has similar outcomes to the skin prick test.
Highlights
The skin scratch test was the first test described as a tool for allergy diagnosis
We propose an alternative method for performing skin testing using a modified skin scratch test technique called the skin scrape test (SST), which was developed to avoid the original inconveniences of the early skin scratch test and the current SPT
Information on current rhinitis, asthma and atopic dermatitis was available for all subjects
Summary
The skin scratch test was the first test described as a tool for allergy diagnosis. It was reported in 1873 by Charles Blackley, who abraded a quarter-inch area of his own forearm to correlate his nasal symptoms with Lolium italicum pollen grains [1]. One of most commonly used devices to perform the skin scratch test is the blood lancet [7]. We propose an alternative method for performing skin testing using a modified skin scratch test technique called the skin scrape test (SST), which was developed to avoid the original inconveniences of the early skin scratch test and the current SPT. We describe this method in detail with the objective of providing a standard methodology both for daily clinical work and for use in multi-center studies in order to effectively determine the predictive value of skin tests [11]. The ability to choose the most suitable technique according to the clinical setting is an advantage for the medical team
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