Key clinical point: A substantial proportion of adults with atopic dermatitis showed contact hypersensitivity to preservatives (PCHS), thus highlighting the need for patch testing in case of worsening skin symptoms because of topical medications or personal care products.
Major finding: The most common preservatives affecting patients with concomitant AD and PCHS were methylisothiazolinone (MI; 83.8%) and 3:1 ratio of methylchloroisothiazolinone/MI (Kathon CG; 36.8%), followed by methyldibromo-glutaronitrile (16.2%), paraben (11.8%), and formaldehyde (7.4%). The majority of patients (79.41%) had one PCHS, whereas 17.65% of patients had two PCHS, with MI and Kathon CG being the most common combination.
Study details: Findings are from a 15-year retrospective study including 723 adults with PCHS and 639 adults with AD, of which 68 patients had concomitant AD and PCHS.
Disclosures: This study was funded by Semmelweis 250+ PhD Excellency Scholarship, Hungary. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: Nemeth D et al. Preservative contact hypersensitivity among adult atopic dermatitis patients. Life (Basel). 2022;12(5): 715 (May 11). Doi: 10.3390/life12050715