Patch testing with p-toluene diamine preparations of different ages

Analyses of the stability of 1% p-toluene diamine (PTD) in petrolatum used for patch testing showed a rapid decline of the PTD concentration down to 0.1%, possibly due to the generation of dye complexes. To study whether the diagnostic quality of this test preparation is compromised by the chemical reactions taken place, a multicentre study was conducted by the German Contact Dermatitis Research Group (DKG), comparing patch test results in 177 patients with simultaneously tested PTD preparations of different ages. During the 10-month course of this study, the age of the batches ranged from 2 to 11 months for batch A, from 7 to 16 months for batch B and from 11 to 20 months for batch C. There were no statistically significant differences between reactions to batches A and B, A and C, and B and C. Agreement of patch test reactions to the 3 batches was very good and comparable to the general reproducibility of patch test with standard allergens. The chemical reactions mentioned above apparently do not affect the diagnostic quality of PTD patch test preparations because the true allergen probably is not PTD itself, but one or more of the reaction products.