Diagnosis and treatment of dermatitis due to formaldehyde resins in clothing

An increasing number of cases of allergic contact dermatitis secondary to formaldehyde resins used for textile finishes have been seen in our office over the last several years. Although previously reported to be more common in women, we have seen almost as many men as we have seen women with this condition, possibly because men are more likely to be occupationally sensitized to formaldehyde. We have found that patch-test reactions of only questionable strength may be clinically relevant. It has been our experience that many of these cases are of long duration before referral for patch testing. A low index of suspicion leads to a delayed diagnosis, and avoidance after diagnosis is difficult owing to the lack of labeling requirements for textile finishes. Patch testing with the textile resins Fixapret AC and Fixapret CPN most often identified patients with textile allergies. We have prepared a handout to give patients more definitive recommendations.