The Open Allergy Journal

2013, 6 : 9-17
Published online 2013 April 19. DOI: 10.2174/1874838401306010009
Publisher ID: TOALLJ-6-9

Skin Scrape Test: An Inexpensive and Painless Skin Test For Recognition Of Immediate Hypersensitivity In Children And Adults

Celso Eduardo Olivier , Daiana Guedes Pinto Argentao , Raquel Acacia Pereira Goncalves dos Santos , Mariana Dias da Silva , Regiane Patussi Santos Lima and Ricardo de Lima Zollner
Discipline and Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

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.

Keywords:

Immediate Hypersensitivity (Medline ID D006969), Diagnosis (Medline ID D003933), Skin Test (Medline ID D012882).