["Spring-summer-fall dermatitis" in a florist. Consequences for workmen's compensation insurance]

Compositae dermatitis in florists is generally occupational. The result of airborne exposure is a serious skin reaction and an objective medical requirement to stop work, since the conditions for an occupational disease required by section 5101 of the appendix to the Ordinance on Industrial Disease are fulfilled. We report on a florist, who suffered over a period of 27 years from chronic, repetitive and finally continuous eczema on air-exposed skin areas. Despite evidence of a highly sensitive type IV response to compositae, it was only after she stopped working, with the resulting elimination of the continuous exposure to allergens that the airborne trigger became apparent. This was a spring-summer-fall dermatitis resulting from airborne pollen exposure to compositae. As contact with airborne compositae constituents is almost impossible to avoid, her prognosis was poor and we estimated that she was at least 40% disabled for general employment market.