title: Contact dermatitis with severe scalp swelling and upper airway compromise due to black henna hair dye.
abstract: Temporary tattooing with black henna is known to cause contact dermatitis; however, this adverse effect is not considered to be life threatening. We report a female adolescent who used black henna as a hair dye and developed severe contact dermatitis with scalp, facial, and neck swelling causing hoarseness and stridor. A flexible bronchoscopy showed a normal epiglottis, and the patient was intubated, ventilated, and eventually recovered. We conclude that the use of black henna hair dye in sensitized patients can be life threatening.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Emergency Department, Ben-Gurion University, Be'er-Sheva, Israel. broides@bgu.ac.il
authors.forename: Arnon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Broides
authors.forename: Shaul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sofer
authors.forename: Isaac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lazar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000209:etiology*; D004487:Edema / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006202:Hair Dyes / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006685:Hoarseness / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D009285:Naphthoquinones / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000209:etiology*; D012536:Scalp Dermatoses / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D006202:Hair Dyes; D009285:Naphthoquinones; C005090:lawsone