[Contact allergy from cigarette smoking]

Usually, recorded cases of allergic contact dermatitis to tobacco are confined to occupational diseases and involve agricultural workers and those engaged in manufacturing or selling the products, all of whom are in contact with tobacco leaves. We have found three cases of contact dermatitis caused by cigarette smoke, which are not occupational disease. We do not know what offending agent is, but in one case the patient is allergic to perfume and this may be the factor responsible, since she smokes only flavoured cigarettes. In addition, we need to know whether the allergen only appears during combustion and is therefore present only in cigarette smoke.