title: Patch test reactions to metal salts in patients with oral mucosal lesions associated with amalgam restorations.
abstract: Patch testing with various metal salts was performed in patients with oral mucosal lesions associated with amalgam restorations, by using polypropylene-coated aluminium discs. Positive reactions to mercuric chloride were obtained in 5/12 (42%) of these patients, but only in 1/11 patients (9%) with oral mucosal lesions unassociated with amalgam restorations and in 3/36 patients (8%) in a control group without mucosal lesions. The difference between the former group and the control patients is statistically significant (p less than 0.05). In addition, a positive test reaction to copper sulfate was obtained in 2 patients (16%) with amalgam-associated mucosal lesions and negative reactions to mercuric chloride. 2 of the 5 positive test reactions to mercuric chloride, in the patients with lichenoid mucosal lesions associated with amalgam, became lichenoid and persisted for at least 3 weeks. The patients with these reactions were also positive at a concentration of 0.05% mercuric chloride, but were negative to metallic mercury, in contrast to 2 other patients in the same group. This indicates the necessity of including mercuric chloride when patch testing such patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nordlind
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lidén
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003723:Dental Amalgam / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008627:Mercuric Chloride / Q000009:adverse effects; D008670:Metals / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects; D010328:Patch Tests / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D008627:Mercuric Chloride; D003723:Dental Amalgam