Vaginal medications as a cause for varied widespread dermatitides

Widespread dermatitis developed in three women after use of vaginal preparations. Besides allergic contact dermatitis, these cases involved erythema multiforme and a photosensitive eruption. Antigen absorption into the general circulation through the vaginal wall, and its deposition at distant skin sites, appeared to account for the spread of the eruption. This type of eruption is akin to the systemic, eczematous, contact-type dermatitis mediated by a systemically given drug in a primarily cutaneously sensitized person.