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Allergic contact dermatitis caused by white petrolatum on damaged skin
Christine C Tam1, Dirk M Elston
1Department of Dermatology, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX, USA.
Abstract:
Petrolatum rarely causes hypersensitivity reactions. We report a case of a 51-year-old white man with allergic contact dermatitis due to white petrolatum on damaged skin. The patient, who presented with a history of hand dermatitis and intolerance to ointments for years, was patch-tested with white petrolatum on scratched skin. Patch tests with the European Standard series, preservatives, steroids, vehicles, and emulsifiers were also performed. The patch-test reaction to white petrolatum on scratched skin was positive at 48 and 96 hours. All other patch-test results were negative.
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