Contact allergy in 330 dermatological patients

A total of 330 patients with eczematous lesions were tested with 27 topical substances. Among the 88 patients with leg ulcers, 85 (2%) were allergic to one or more substances present in one out of two cases of allergy to wool alcohol. Among the 242 patients suffering from eczematous dermatitis, the percentage of allergic reactions reached 54.6%. A great number of allergic reactions of cetyl alcohol (11.2%), chloramphenicol (10%) and sodium lauryl sulfate (6.4%) was observed. These allergens are not included in the European standard series adopted by the ICDRG. The findings are discussed and compared with data taken from the literature.