Atopy to henna tattoos in children.
Temporary henna tattoos are a popular fashion accessory in recent years. The tattoo dye consists of henna extract from the plant Lawsonia, and p-phenylenediamine to create a darker shade to the tattoo. Increasingly, emergency departments are seeing children with atopic reactions to these tattoos. The p-phenylenediamine component can cause a spongiotic dermatitis with lympho-histiocytic infiltrates. I present two cases of reactions to temporary tattoos in children attending the emergency department. The acute management of these cases and the possible future consequences of sensitization to p-phenylenediamine are discussed.
Eager
Robert P
RP
Emergency Department, Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital, Liverpool, UK. rob.eager@rlbnht.nhs.uk
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009285:Naphthoquinones; D010655:Phenylenediamines / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013653:Tattooing / Q000009:adverse effects*
D004396:Coloring Agents; D009285:Naphthoquinones; D010655:Phenylenediamines; C005090:lawsone; C029728:4-phenylenediamine