P66 Occupational contact dermatitis from glues

Abstract

Objective: Exposure to adhesives and glues is common in occupation. We here analyse the data of patients with suspected contact dermatitis (CD) from glues recorded within the Information Network of Departments of Dermatology (IVDK).Methods: Data recorded between 1996 and 2001 within the IVDK were searched for patients who underwent patch testing because of suspected contact dermatitis from glues.Results: Overall data of 829 patients were found, among them 336 with occupational skin disease. Allergic CD was diagnosed in 171/336 patients (50.9%), irritant CD in 24.7%. CD was mostly localized on the hands (72.6%), followed by the face (13.4%) and arms (3.9%). By far the most common cause of an allergic patch‐test reaction was epoxy resin (EP): 18.2%(age‐ and sex‐standardized proportion of sensitization) reacted to the standard EP based on diglycidylether of bisphenol A. reactive diluents and hardeners which elicited a positive patch‐test reaction in > 5% of the patients were phenyl glycidylether and 4,4′diamino diphenylmethane respectively. Cresyl glycidylether was positive in 4.9%. (Meth‐)acrylates which showed an allergic patch‐test reaction in >= 5% of the patients were 2‐hydroxypropyl methacrylate, hydroxyethyl acrylate, 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate, ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate, BIS GMA and triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate. Colophony was positive in 8.3% and p‐tert‐butylphenol formaldehyde resin in 4.1% of the patients respectively.Conclusion: In our collective allergic CD was nearly 2‐fold more frequent than irritant CD in patients with occupational CD from glues, epoxy resin components being the most important allergens.