Allergic contact dermatitis from 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate in an adhesive on an electrosurgical earthing plate

A highly (meth)acrylate-allergic patient underwent surgery because of nodular struma. Three days after her operation she developed an itching dermatitis on her left thigh. She came to our attention 18 days after the operation, because of an oozing, highly pruritic dermatitis, 8 x 19 cm in width on her left thigh, at the site where an electrosurgical earthing plate had been used during the surgery. It was revealed that the pressure-sensitive adhesive of the pad contained 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (2-HEMA) to which the patient earlier had had an allergic patch test reaction. The patient was negative on patch testing to other (meth)acrylates present in the pad. Patients should be questioned about possible methacrylate sensitivity before methacrylate-containing electrosurgical earthing plates are used during surgery. Allergic contact dermatitis caused by acrylic adhesives is briefly reviewed.