Airborne contact dermatitis induced by parthenium: a study of 50 cases in South India.
Airborne contact dermatitis (ABCD) is a commonly occurring form of allergic contact dermatitis with varied aetiology, often posing a diagnostic challenge in management. A study was carried out on patients with a clinical picture and history consistent with ABCD due to exposure to Parthenium hysterophorus (parthenium weed), who were patch tested. There were 50 patients with parthenium-induced ABCD (36 men and 14 women; age range 24-75 years). The majority (90%) of the patients were farmers and most of the patients (74.5%) had exacerbations during summer. The most common type of dermatitis was the classic pattern (46%) followed by the mixed pattern (30%), erythroderma (14%) and chronic actinic dermatitis (10%). Of the 40 cases patch tested with the Indian standard series of antigens, 36 (90%) cases had patch-test results positive for parthenium.
Agarwal
K K
KK
Department of Dermatology and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India.
D'Souza
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects; D000485:Allergens / Q000009:adverse effects; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010312:Parthenogenesis; D010328:Patch Tests; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000009:adverse effects*; D055815:Young Adult; D000097762:Parthenium hysterophorus
D000393:Air Pollutants; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D000485:Allergens; C519376:Parthenium hysterophorus extract; D010936:Plant Extracts