Sunlight and the plant: a toxic combination: severe phytophotodermatitis from Cneoridium dumosum.
A severe case of phytophotodermatitis occurred in a patient who had spent several hours walking through an area densely populated with Cneoridium dumosum. This patient's co-worker experienced a similar reaction after undergoing patch testing of an area of skin and exposing it to sunlight. Voluntary patch testing by one of the authors produced a reaction consistent with the other two cases. Approximately twenty other cases were described by a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ranger in students who came into contact with the plant during a field trip with him to Baja California, Mexico. Cneoridium dumosum is a common native bush that grows in the chaparral vegetation zone of southern California and Baja California, Mexico. In a search of Poisindex, Medline, Agris International, and Agricola databases, no previous reports of toxic exposures were found.
Tunget
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San Diego Regional Poison Center, UCSD Medical Center 92103-8925.
Turchen
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Manoguerra
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Clark
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Pudoff
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D001132:Arm; D001768:Blister / Q000209:etiology; D002140:California; D017454:Dermatitis, Photoallergic / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D013472:Sunlight / Q000009:adverse effects*