Photosensitivity from colophony in a case of chronic actinic dermatitis associated with contact allergy from colophony.

Abstract

Sir, applying colophony 0.02% in white petrolatum or the vehicle alone. They were similar to each other at 24 h after irradiation, Chronic actinic dermatitis (1) is an idiopathic photosensitivity disorder.A high incidence of a previous chronic contact allergy while ` MEDs’’ at 48 h after irradiation upon applying colophony were de® nitely lower than those upon applying white caused by several materials, including the Compositae family, fragrances and lichens, has been reported (2). Here we report petrolatum from 290 to 320nm, thus the patient showed photosensitivity from colophony where the action spectrum a case of chronic actinic dermatitis associated with contact allergy as well as photosensitivity from colophony. Study of for the photosensitivity ranged from 290 to 320nm (Fig. 1). The shape of the diŒerence action spectrum at 48h after the mechanisms of photosensitivity from contact allergens in such cases may indicate how repeated exposure evolves into irradiation upon applying colophony 0.02% in white petrolatum or the vehicle diŒered from that of the absorption chronic actinic dermatitis. spectrum of colophony 0.02% and abietic acid, one of major antigenic components of colophony (4), 0.02% in white petrolatum (Fig. 2). We also examined 4 subjects without CASE REPORT contact allergy from colophony on their action spectrum. Two A 72-year-old Japanese woman had been weeding the garden of them were aŒected with chronic actinic dermatitis, one with for about 30 years. For about 10 years she had been aŒected seborrheic dermatitis, and one with prurigo subacuta. Their by chronic eczema on sun-exposed areas. The eczema was average diŒerence action spectrum was generally lower than worse during spring and summer. She noticed that the eruption the score of 0, which may indicate that colophony acted as a appeared after exposure to sunlight through a windowpane. sunscreen in those subjects (Fig. 2). At her ® rst visit in June 1998, she presented with erythema Her eruption was remitted by avoiding sun-exposure as an and oedema on the face, nape of the neck and the V-shaped inpatient for 2 weeks. Since her discharge, her skin condition area of her upper chest. She always wore gloves while working has almost recovered to normal by applying sunscreens prooutdoors and the dorsa of the handswere spared. Her personal tecting from both UVB and UVA during her work outdoors. and family history was unremarkable except for the eruption, and she had never used any medications habitually. The histology of the specimen from a lesion on her cheek showed a chronic eczematous reaction. Patch tests to the European Standard and Photoallergens Series (Trolabâ , Hermal, Hamburg, Germany) and to materials including pesticides were performed. These were read at day 3 and day 4 in accordance with the criteria of the International Contact Dermatitis Research Group, and the results on both days showed weakly positive reactions to colophony at concentrations down to 0.02% in white petrolatum, one-thousandth of the preparation established in the European Standard Series. More concentration of colophony added stronger reactions in patch testing. Open patch tests were positive to colophony at 0.06% but negative to 0.02% in white petrolatum. Photopatch testing was also carried out on the same series irradiated at day 2 with half the minimal erythema dose (MED) from FL20S E-30 (Toshiba, Tokyo, Japan) as the ultraviolet B (UVB) source, or with 6 J/cm2 from FL32S BL (Toshiba) as the UVA light source through a window-glass ® lter to cut-oŒ wavelengths shorter than 320nm. The photopatch test results were all negative, including those to colophony, where there were no diŒerences in the grade of reactions to colophony 20% to 0.06% in white petrolatum between patch and photopatch testing at day 3 and day 4. The MEDs judged on the uninvolved abdominal skin at 24h after irradiation with an irradiation monochromFig. 1. Action spectrum for erythema at (a) 24h and (b) 48h after ator (Jasco, Tokyo, Japan) were lower than the normal range irradiation, where colophony 0.02% in white petrolatum (solid line) between 290 and 350nm (3). Then the action spectrum for or the vehicle (broken line) had been applied 24h earlier on the patient’s abdomen. erythema was tested on the patient’s abdomen 24 h after