Dear Sir,
The prolonged and continuous use of a laptop as an occupational and personal tool has increased in recent times. Although mostly made from plastic material, metal components can be seen in some parts of the laptop. The incidence of laptop and computer–associated contact dermatitis and other dermatoses is known.[1,2] Nickel is the most common metal implicated in contact dermatitis and is seen in most household and personal materials. The simple and inexpensive test to detect the release of nickel from surfaces is the dimethylglyoxime (DMG) spot test where positivity is indicated by a pink color. DMG test has been done to assess the release of nickel from laptop parts.[2,3] However, no study has been done to assess the same in an Indian scenario.
Twenty-three laptops of different brands from 23 individuals with no pre-existing dermatitis were chosen. The various metal parts tested were a logo, hinges, screws, rim of the screen, the rim of the keyboard, the rim of the touchpad, and side ports were tested separately by the DMG spot test. The metallic sites were rubbed by a cotton swab dipped in ammonium hydroxide first followed by another swab dipped in DMG. The development of pink discoloration on the swab was considered positive. Sixteen out of the 23 laptops showed a positive DMG test. DMG positivity was seen in the side ports (73%), logo (43%), screws at the base (22%), hinges (13%), the metal rim of the touchpad (8%), the metal rim of the key pad (8%), and rim of the screen (4%) [Figures 1 and 2]. The duration of purchase was ranged from 1 to 5 years, and daily use was 1 to 10 h. The majority (17/23) used a table for laptop use, whereas the resting on a body part or both table and body were 1 and 5, respectively.
Figure 1.
Positive DMG from hinge
Figure 2.
Positive DMG from side port
DMG is positive when the concentration of nickel is 0.5 μg/cm2 or more.[3] The sensitivity and specificity of DMG are 59.3% and 97.5%, respectively.[4] Even though the metallic surface area is comparatively less in laptops, these limited sites can be a potential source of nickel to those sensitized earlier or can be a potential sensitization source. The positivity of the DMG test from the screws at the base indicates that these need to be considered as a source of dermatitis in unexplainable nickel dermatitis.
DMG spot tests done on Apple laptops showed positivity in 7/20 (35%) laptops of which 6 and 5 were from the bottom and top surfaces, respectively. Metal parts of all 6 computer mouses showed DMG positivity.[3] Nickel and cobalt spot tests were performed on the lid and wrist supports showed a 39% positivity for nickel. The spot tests were done irrespective of the type of material – plastic or metal.[5]
In our study, we individually screened different metallic laptop components of users with no pre-existing dermatitis. As none of the individuals had any pre-existing dermatitis, a patch test was not considered. In our study, we found the side ports and screws at the base and metal hinges to give the highest positivity. We could not find any correlation between years of use or daily usage or place of resting the laptop while use (table, body, or both).
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Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
References
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