• A rash or skin irritation that results when skin contacts an allergen or irritating substance.
  Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
  Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
• An inflammatory process in skin caused by an exogenous agent that directly or indirectly injure the skin. If the offending agent is identified and removed, the eruption will resolve. An unusual or patterned eruption may be a clue to the presence of a contact dermatitis. Patch testing may be helpful in the differential diagnosis.
  Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO)
  The Human Phenotype Ontology Project, 2025
• An inflammatory skin condition caused by direct contact between the skin and either an irritating substance or an allergen.
  NCI
  U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
• Type of acute or chronic skin reaction in which sensitivity is manifested by reactivity to materials or substances coming in contact with the skin; may involve allergic or non-allergic mechanisms.
  CRISP Thesaurus
  National Institutes of Health, 2006
• (dermatitis, contact) A type of acute or chronic skin reaction in which sensitivity is manifested by reactivity to materials or substances coming in contact with the skin. It may involve allergic or non-allergic mechanisms.
  NLM Medical Subject Headings
  U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
• Contact dermatitis is inflammation of the skin caused by direct contact with irritants (irritant contact dermatitis) or allergens (allergic contact dermatitis). Symptoms include pruritus and sometimes a burning pain. Skin changes include erythema, scaling, skin swelling, and sometimes blistering and ulceration. The location depends on...
  Merck Manuals
  Merck & Co., Inc., 2025
• Contact dermatitis is a red, itchy rash caused by direct contact with a substance or an allergic reaction to it. The rash isn't contagious or life-threatening, but it can be very uncomfortable.
  Mayo Clinic
  Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2025
• Contact dermatitis is an allergic or irritant skin reaction caused by an external agent.
  Epocrates
  Athenahealth, Inc., 2019
• Contact dermatitis, localized redness and swelling of the skin, together with the formation of vesicles (blisters) in more severe cases, caused by skin contact with irritating chemical substances. Certain chemicals, such as lime or nitric acid, produce inflammation in all persons on first contact.
  Encyclopedia Britannica
  Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2025