Sensitivity to woodtar

A group of 667 patients randomly selected for allergic contact dermatitis were tested with the ICDRG standard battery (1) including woodtar (12% pet.), balsam of Peru (25% pet.), colophony (20% pet.), and 1 month later with the following perfume compounds: eugenol (2%), iso-eugenol (2%), cinnamaldehyde (2%), hydroxycitronellal (10%), coumarin (8%), benzyl alcohol (5%), geraniol (1 %) all in petrolatum, and oil of turpentine (25% in oJ. olivae). 28 (4.2 %) of the original 667 patients were positive to wood tar. The majority (20 of 28) were female. 24 of the 28 patients with wood tar sensitivity were also positive to one or more immunochemically related substances. Simultaneous reactions were seen to balsam of Peru (10 cases), iso-eugenol (5 cases), coumarin (3 cases) and hydroxycitronellal (3 cases) and colophony (2 cases). i-tests revealed statistically significant correlations between wood tar sensitivity and sensitivity to balsam of Peru (;(2 = 15.47; p<O.OOOI), iso-eugenol (;(2= 7.45; 0.01 <p<0.05)and to cinnamaldehyde (;(2=4.60; P=0.05). Other statistically significant values concerning mutual crosssensitivity were not seen. Only 4 of the 28 had a solitary positive test to woodtar. It is difficult to conclude that primary sensitization to woodtar had occurred in these cases, because only a few related substances were tested. In 16 (13 female and 3 male) of the 28, a correlation was found between the development of skin lesions and use of cosmetics or detergents containing perfume compounds. In 10 of the 28 cases, the primary site of dermatitis was the hands, and in 7 others the face and/or neck.