Occupational dermatitis from Synacril Red 3b liquid (CI Basic Red 22)

A carpet factory worker, exposed to a number of different dyes, developed a severe hand dermatitis. The handling of warm, wet and freshly-dyed yarn with unprotected hands was thought to have caused the onset of dermatitis. Patch testing indicated that the patient was sensitive to only one of the dyes handled, namely Synacril Red 3B liquid, which is based on the single dyestuff Basic Red 22 (CI 11055). Chemical analysis revealed the dyestuff to be of high purity (greater than 95%), suggesting that sensitization was caused by the Basic Red 22 dyestuff itself and not by an avoidable impurity.