Contact dermatitis of the feet

For a period of 12 years, 539 patients with shoe and dye contact dermatitis, were studied in 2 out-patient clinics in Lisbon. 75% of the patients had a bilateral recurrent dermatitis confined to the dorsa of the feet. PTBP resin and chromium proved to be the 2 principal allergens, but when lesions were localized to the soles, rubber additives, chiefly mercaptobenzothiazole, were the predominant ones. Allergy to dyes was found in 54 patients, most patients being allergic to PPD, p-aminoazobenzene and disperse orange 3. No patient was found to be allergic to the anthraquinone dye, disperse blue 3.