11/114. Degradation of triglycidyl isocyanurate as a cause of false-negative patch test reaction.Triglycidyl isocyanurate (TGIC) is mainly used in polyester-based powder paints, but also in laminates, insulating varnishes, coatings and adhesives. Several cases of contact allergy to TGIC have been reported during the last 10 years. Contact allergy to TGIC has developed in a factory producing the chemical, in a factory producing powder paints containing TGIC, and in industries using powder coating. In this paper, we report a man who developed a work-related dermatitis when working on the painting of metal frames. He was exposed to polyester powder pigments containing TGIC. When patch tested, he was negative to TGIC (prepared in 1988) 3x and positive to polyester powder pigment. Only when a new test preparation of fresh TGIC powder was tested, was a positive reaction obtained. Chemical analyses showed that there was no TGIC in the test preparation from 1988, and that in the TGIC powder from 1988, there was only 30% of the expected amount of TGIC. The investigations, clinical and chemical, strongly indicate degradation of TGIC in the test preparation and powder. Both substances and the test preparations made from them may change over time. Therefore, if a false-negative reaction due to a test preparation is strongly suspected, we recommend a re-test of the patient with a new test preparation of fresh material. As a general rule, patch testing should be performed with fresh substances and test preparations made from them, unless their stability and durability are known.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = allergy (Clic here for more details about this article) |
12/114. Fingertip dermatitis in a retail florist.prevalence of plant contact dermatitis in retail florists varies with exposure, and the number of reports of contact allergy to cut tulips is rather small. Alpha-methylene-gamma-butyrolactone is better known as the cause of both alstroemeria dermatitis in retail florists and tulip finger in wholesale floral workers who handle the bulbs. Our patient presented with prominent erythema, scaling, and peeling of the skin of the thumb, index, and middle fingers of his right hand. Results of a patch test to alpha-methylene-gamma-butyrolactone were strongly positive, and the patient determined that the exposure had occurred when he stripped leaves from the tulip stems to arrange cut flowers. Other natural sources of the antigen include alstroemeria; Bomarea; dioscorea hispida; Erythronium; Gagea; fritillaria; and at least one species of onion, allium triquetrum.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = allergy (Clic here for more details about this article) |
13/114. urticaria and rhinitis to shrubs of ficus benjamina and breadfruit in a banana-allergic road worker: evidence for a cross-sensitization between Moracea, banana and latex.BACKGROUND: We report the case of a road worker with a food allergy to banana, who developed urticaria and rhinitis when cutting shrubs of ficus benjamina and breadfruit. He did not develop an allergy to latex of hevea brasiliensis. RESULTS: Sensitization to latex of F. benjamina, H. brasiliensis, breadfruit and banana was demonstrated using skin tests and specific IgE measurements. RAST inhibitions procedures showed that specific IgE to breadfruit latex cross-reacted more strongly with latex of H. brasiliensis and banana than with latex of F. benjamina with the same extract. CONCLUSION: Given the wide distribution of Moracea trees in tropical regions, sensitization to latex of H. brasiliensis and banana could be a consequence of sensitization to Moracea members; F. benjamina does not seem to be the only Moracea responsible for cross-allergy with latex and fruit. Consequently, it seems interesting to test other members of the Moracea family in patients sensitized to latex of H. brasiliensis and banana. Sensitization to breadfruit could be a risk factor for sensitization to latex of H. brasiliensis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.5keywords = allergy (Clic here for more details about this article) |
14/114. Occupational protein contact dermatitis and paronychia from natural rubber latex.Protein contact dermatitis (PCD) is a chronic recurrent dermatitis caused by contact with a proteinaceous material. PCD may also present as paronychia. Here a case of PCD and paronychia from natural rubber latex (NRL) is presented. The correct diagnosis would not have been established if prick testing with NRL had not been performed. This case shows that contact allergy presenting as dermatitis may occur despite negative patch test results. PCD from NRL may be relatively common, although very few cases have been published. This is probably due to the fact that the term contact urticaria is so closely connected to NRL that automatically all cases of type I allergy to NRL are considered contact urticaria, although the clinical picture is a dermatitis, i.e. PCD.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = allergy (Clic here for more details about this article) |
15/114. Allergic contact dermatitis due to thiuram exposure from a fungicide.A 49-year-old man developed a widespread eczematous eruption following contact with plants sprayed with a fungicide. Patch testing revealed a strong reaction to thiuram mix and several of the individual thiuram mix constituents. The fungicide contained tetramethylthiuram disulphide, a thiuram chemical. Thiurams are widely recognized as a cause of rubber-glove allergy; however, they are also used extensively in fungicides.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = allergy (Clic here for more details about this article) |
16/114. Allergic contact dermatitis to proparacaine with subsequent cross-sensitization to tetracaine from ophthalmic preparations.We report 2 cases of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) to proparacaine and tetracaine. Patient 1 is an ophthalmologist with chronic finger pad dermatitis sensitized to the topical anesthetic proparacaine. Despite discontinuance of proparacaine and substitution with a patch test negative agent, tetracaine, his hand dermatitis persisted. Follow up patch testing documented that acquisition of contact allergy to tetracaine as well as thiuram had taken place. Patient 2 had a periocular eczematous dermatitis with ACD to both proparacaine and tetracaine. Cross sensitization between related topical ophthalmologic anesthetics has been suggested to be a rare occurrence. We suggest that allergic sensitization and possible cross-reaction to topical anesthetics in ophthalmologists and ophthalmologic technicians is an occupational hazard. Chronically eczematized skin might result in increased exposure to contact allergens and result in concomitant allergic sensitization. ACD to topical anesthetic agents among ophthalmologists should be recognized as a potential hazard.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = allergy (Clic here for more details about this article) |
17/114. Occupational contact dermatitis to textile dyes in airline personnel.BACKGROUND: Reports of textile dye allergic contact dermatitis are becoming frequent in the literature. occupational exposure to textile dyes has been reported, but less frequently. OBJECTIVE: To report 2 cases of allergic contact dermatitis to Disperse Blue dyes 106 and 124 occurring in airline personnel. methods: The patients were patch tested to the European or North American standard series, a textile dye series, and 1 patient was tested with pieces of textile from an airplane seat. RESULTS: Patch testing elicited in both patients a 2 reaction to Disperse Blue dyes 106 and 124, and a 1 reaction to paraphenylenediamine in one patient. CONCLUSION: We describe 2 cases of occupational textile dye allergy occurring in airline personnel. Both cases showed the utility of Disperse Blue dyes 106 and 124 to serve as the screening allergens for textile dermatitis. Mandatory uniforms might be an occupational hazard in certain professions.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = allergy (Clic here for more details about this article) |
18/114. Occupational contact urticaria caused by airborne methylhexahydrophthalic anhydride.Acid anhydrides are low-molecular weight chemicals known to cause respiratory irritancy and allergy. Skin allergy has on rare occasions been reported. A total of 3 subjects with occupational exposure to methylhexahydrophthalic anhydride (MHHPA) and hexahydrophthalic anhydride (HHPA) from an epoxy resin system were studied to evaluate the nature of their reported skin and nose complaints (work-related anamnesis, specific IgE, contact urticaria examinations, and ambient monitoring). Using a Pharmacia CAP system with a HHPA human serum albumin conjugate, specific IgE antibody was detected in serum from 1 (33.3%) out of the 3 workers. One unsensitized worker displayed nasal pain and rhinorrhea only when loading liquid epoxy resins into the pouring-machine (2.2 mg MHHPA/m3 and 1.2 mg HHPA/m3), probably being an irritant reaction. Two workers had work-related symptoms at relatively low levels of exposure (geometric mean 32-103 microg MHHPA/m3 and 18-59 microg HHPA/m3); one complained of only rhinitis, and the other was sensitized against HHPA and displayed both rhinitis and contact urticaria (the face and neck). The worker's skin symptoms were evidently due to airborne contact, since she had not had any skin contact with liquid epoxy resin or mixtures of MHHPA and HHPA. These urticaria symptoms were confirmed by a 20-min closed patch test for MHHPA, but not by that for HHPA. The causative agent was considered to be MHHPA, although the specific IgE determination to MHHPA was not performed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = allergy (Clic here for more details about this article) |
19/114. Allergy to lichens. Allergic contact dermatitis from usnic acid produced by lichenized fungi.Two forest workers affected with allergic contact dermatitis, which occurred only during work in forest areas, showed positive patch test reactions to lichens containing usnic acid and to isolated usnic acid. lichens are plants composed of fungi living in symbiosis with algae. Usnic acid, one of the lichenic acids which accumulates in lichenized fungi, is a monobasic acid with dibenzofuran structure and antibiotic properties. Dibenzofuran is chemically related to furocoumarans. lichens are plentiful in temperate zone forests and allergy to usnic acid represents some part of the "cedar-poisoning" problem in british columbia. Geographical distribution of lichens containing usnic acid suggests that allergy to usnic acid will be found to be more common than presently recognized.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = allergy (Clic here for more details about this article) |
20/114. Occupational protein contact dermatitis from spices in a butcher: a new presentation of the mugwort-spice syndrome.Protein contact dermatitis to meat is well known in butchers; spices are another source of potential contact allergy and usually are not recognized. We present a first case of contact-dermatitis to spice mix in a 39-year-old-butcher. The patient underwent skin prick testing (SPT) with standard allergens (ALK) and different meat and spice extracts (Stallergenes), scratch-patch testing with spice mix containing glutamate, paprika and other spices. Specific serum-IgE was measured with CAP-FEIA. SPT only showed an immediate-type sensitization to mugwort ( ), as well as different spices (paprika , curry , cumin ) and camomile ( ). Scratch-patch tests were negative for different meat, but strongly positive for spice mix ( ) after 30 min (wheal and flare) and ( ) after 48 h (infiltration and vesiculation). Two healthy controls were tested negative for spice mix used from that patient (scratch-patch). Specific IgE was slightly elevated for paprika 0.47 kU/L (CAP class 1), anise 0.43 kU/L, curry 0.36 kU/L and mugwort 3.83 kU/L. Sx1 atopy-multiscreen was 3.8 kU/L due to a sensitization to mugwort alone. The tests performed demonstrate an IgE-mediated contact allergy to spices but also a delayed type allergy to spice mix as a manifestation of the mugwort-spice syndrome in this individual. When testing for occupational dermatitis in butchers, protein contact allergy to spices must also be taken into consideration.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = allergy (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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