A retrospective analysis of contact allergy to lanolin.
BACKGROUND
Lanolin is often stated to be an important sensitizer but some of the available literature is based on the analysis of high-risk patients.


OBJECTIVE
To analyse the frequency of contact allergy to lanolin (wool alcohols) in a central London teaching hospital patch-test population.


METHODS
Review of 24,449 patients recorded on our database during 1982--96 who were tested with a standard series containing 30% wool alcohols.


RESULTS
The mean annual rate of sensitivity to this allergen was 1.7%. The wool alcohols-allergic group contained a higher proportion of females (P < 0.05), and the mean age of both males and females (48.4 and 49.2 years) was higher than that of non-wool alcohols-allergic patients (41.4 and 35.9 years; P < 0.0005). There was no difference in atopic eczema status between these groups. The highest prevalence of allergy to wool alcohols was among patients with lower leg dermatitis (6.0%; 95% confidence interval, CI 4.46--7.54), followed by those with anogenital dermatitis (3.23%; 95% CI 1.81--4.65). There was an unexplained decline in the rate of positive patch tests to Amerchol L-101. However, some patients who reacted to this were negative with wool alcohols, so it may be a useful additional test reagent. The mean rates of allergy to Eucerin (0.65% per annum) and 50% hydrogenated lanolin in petrolatum (1% per annum) were low, and we no longer use these as test reagents.


CONCLUSIONS
This study illustrates that lanolin sensitization has remained at a relatively low and constant rate even in a high-risk population (i.e. patients with recent or active eczema).
Wakelin
S H
SH
St John's Institute of Dermatology, London, UK.
Smith
H
H
White
I R
IR
Rycroft
R J
RJ
McFadden
J P
JP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003877:Dermatitis, Contact / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007809:Lanolin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010328:Patch Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D007809:Lanolin