title: Allergic contact dermatitis caused by white petrolatum on damaged skin.
abstract: Petrolatum rarely causes hypersensitivity reactions. We report a case of a 51-year-old white man with allergic contact dermatitis due to white petrolatum on damaged skin. The patient, who presented with a history of hand dermatitis and intolerance to ointments for years, was patch-tested with white petrolatum on scratched skin. Patch tests with the European Standard series, preservatives, steroids, vehicles, and emulsifiers were also performed. The patch-test reaction to white petrolatum on scratched skin was positive at 48 and 96 hours. All other patch-test results were negative.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Christine C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.forename: Dirk M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Elston
mesh_terms: D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009823:Ointment Bases / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010577:Petrolatum / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries*
chemical_list: D009823:Ointment Bases; D010577:Petrolatum