Do you have an unexplained dermatitis?, Check your iPad. It turns out that the popular tablet may contain nickel, one of the most common metals that cause allergy.
Recent reports in medical journals detailing nickel allergies to various personal electronic devices such as laptops and cell phones. But it was the Apple iPad tablet urticaria caused a 11 year old boy who was recently treated at a hospital in San Diego, according to a report Monday in the journal Pediatrics.
Nickel dermatitis is not life threatening but can be very uncomfortable and may require treatment with steroids and antibiotics if the eruptions are infected, said Dr. Sharon Jacob, a dermatologist at Rady Children's Hospital, where he was treated the child. Jacob, who co-authored the report, said the patient had to miss school because of the rash.
The child had a common skin disease that causes scaly patches, but developed a different hives all over the body did not respond to the usual treatment. A skin test showed he had a nickel allergy and doctors traced the source to an iPad bought his family in 2010.
Doctors examined detected on the tablet and the outer lining of iPad a chemical compound that is in the nickel.
"He used the iPad daily," he said.
Little improved after being placed in a protective container, said Dr..
It is not known if all iPad models and other Apple devices contain nickel. Chris Gaither, a spokesman for Apple, said the company had no comment.
Hives have also been traced to nickel other common products, as some jewelry, eyeglass frames and zippers.
The Dr. Jacob said evidence suggests that nickel allergy is far more common and increasingly recognized. He cited national figures showing that about 25% of children who undergo skin test have nickel allergy, compared with 17% a decade ago.
He added that doctors need to take into account the electronic equipment as potential sources when patients are treated for dermatitis.
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