Acute neuropathy and erythromelalgia following topical exposure to isopropanol

Adverse effects resulting from topical exposure to isopropanol appears exceptional in adults with intact skin. We describe the case of a young woman who developed an acute sensori-motor axonal polyneuropathy after walking bare-feet for several hours on carpets soaked by a disinfectant containing isopropanolol. The persistence and severity of symptoms raised the possibility of her neuropathy being partly related to immunizations she received 1 mo earlier. The occurrence shortly after contact, however, strongly suggested responsibility of the dermal isopropanol exposure. This case being, to our knowledge, the second reported, peripheral nerve toxicity appears possible in adults on prolonged topical exposure, probably in susceptible individuals.