[Contact dermatitis caused by plastic pockets on trouser]

An hitherto undescribed type of contact dermatitis in a series of 16 patients is described by the authors. The lesions were localized in the anterior and anterolateral aspects of the thighs and were sharply limited in the area contacting the trouser pockets, manufactured with synthetic fabrics. In 17 patients of this series there was a concomitant dermatitis in the exposed areas of the face and hands. The authors described the processing in the manufacture of these pockets, the end step being the obtention of poliamide, through different precursor substances. The poliamide is treated with different aditives giving rise to the nylon fiber, which is used to manufacture the definitive tissue. A list of adequate allergens and their concentrations used in the 16 patients is given in the paper. The results of the patch tests and the fact that all the clinical symptoms of the patients disappeared after the withdrawal of the tissue pockets and substitution by cotton tissue give a reasonable basis to the hypothesis of contact dermatitis caused by this tissue. However, the true specific allergen is not demonstrated yet.