Systemic Allergic Contact Dermatitis After Formaldehyde-Containing Influenza Vaccination

Systemic contact dermatitis occurs when a patient sensitized to an allergen topically is systemically reexposed to the allergen and develops a cutaneous eruption.

To report the case of a 48-year-old male who developed explosive dermatitis following injection of a formaldehyde-containing influenza vaccine and was subsequently shown to be strongly positive to formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing allergens by patch testing, as well as to review the literature for similar cases.

A PubMed search was made using the following search terms: systemic contact dermatitis, formaldehyde, influenza, and vaccine.

A review of the literature revealed 2 cases of systemic contact dermatitis from formaldehyde derived from aspartame and 1 case from a thimerosal-containing influenza vaccine. No cases caused by formaldehyde in influenza or other vaccines were found.

This case highlights the importance of considering systemic allergic contact dermatitis in any patient presenting with dermatitis following injection of a formaldehyde-containing vaccine.