Allergic contact dermatitis from dimethyl fumarate after contact with a Chinese sofa

Dimethyl fumarate has been successfully used in the treatment of psoriasis in the past. Despite its clinical use, cutaneous contact with this molecule may cause contact dermatitis.

We report a case in which skin exposure to a synthetic fabric sofa containing dimethyl fumarate made by a Chinese furniture manufacturer resulted in a severe, pruritic, papulovesicular, eczematous dermatitis to the sites of contact with the sofa.

The patient was patch-tested with serial dilutions of dimethyl fumarate.

Patch testing results revealed strong positive reactions to dimethyl fumarate at different concentrations.

Dimethyl fumarate is a potent contact sensitizer and is commonly found in sachets inside furniture and footwear boxes.