Contact hypersensitivity to hydrocortisone-free-alcohol in patients with allergic patch test reactions to tixocortol...

It has been suggested that contact allergy to hydrocortisone alcohol is a frequent phenomenon. A recent study showed that all patients with allergic patch reactions to tixocortol pivalate reacted to intradermal hydrocortisone sodium phosphate. We studied patients with positive patch test reactions to tixocortol pivalate but negative to hydrocortisone alcohol, with penetration enhancers in hydrocortisone alcohol patch tests and oral challenges with hydrocortisone alcohol. Additionally, prick and intradermal tests with hydrocortisone sodium succinate were used. Using penetration enhancers and oral challenges enabled detection of more contact allergies to hydrocortisone alcohol compared to conventional patch testing alone. 9/12 patients with allergic reactions to tixocortol pivalate reacted to intradermal hydrocortisone sodium succinate. No immediate reactions were seen in prick or intradermal tests, suggesting that hydrocortisone contact hypersensitivity is probably not associated with immediate allergy to hydrocortisone. The present study suggests that allergic patch test reactions to tixocortol pivalate are caused by hypersensitivity to hydrocortisone alcohol itself or to one of its metabolites in the skin.