Dermatite de contato ao uso de luvas de látex em consultórios odontológicos / Contact dermatitis with the use of rubber gloves in dentist's office

Os autores relatam um caso clínico de dermatite de contato, ao uso de luvas, em consultórios odontológicos. Fazem consideraçöes à respeito dos sinais e sintomas desta doença, comentando aspectos relacionados ao tratamento

Dermatoses--an occupational hazard in the canning industry.

Despite the recognition that occupational dermatitis is extremely common, few data exist on the prevalence of skin disorders in South African industry. A cross-sectional prevalence study among 686 female workers in a canning factory in the western Cape showed high rates of dermatoses--in particular, chronic paronychia, intertrigo and dermatitis of the hands. A statistically significant association was found between exposure to 'wet work' in the industry and the prevalence of chronic paronychia and intertrigo. Age was also found to be associated with these dermatoses, irrespective of duration of service. The prevalence of dermatitis of the hands was increased among high-exposure workers, but not significantly. Dermatoses are an important occupational hazard in the canning industry, and there is a need for improved preventive measures.

Immediate allergy to natural latex: clinical and immunological studies.

Since 1979 several reports of contact urticaria due to natural latex have been documented. In recent years cases of anaphylaxis, rhinitis, and asthma due to latex have appeared. Nine patients, studied in our clinic between 1986-1991, suffered immediate allergic reactions caused by rubber products. All showed an immediate skin reaction to latex extract. Rub testing with surgical gloves was positive in eight patients. Immunological techniques (RAST, ELISA, HRT) demonstrated specific IgE against latex. Specific bronchial provocation testing was performed in one patient who presented with asthma when she used latex surgical gloves. Patch testing to common rubber additives were negative in our patients. These results suggest that natural latex antigens present in rubber objects can cause hypersensitivity reactions probably due to IgE-mediated mechanisms.

Dermatitis caused by dimethyl cyanocarbonimidodithioate.

Dimethyl cyanocarbonimidodithioate (CAS No. 10191-60-3) a raw material for cimetidine synthesis, is labelled as an irritant on its storage tank. There is no information available regarding the toxic effects of human exposure. We report a case of severe dermatitis clinically resembling erythema multiforme following an accidental exposure to dimethyl cyanocarbonimidodithioate in an occupational setting. A clerk sifted a handful of dimethyl cyanocarbonimidodithioate from an unlabelled bucket through his bare hands during an inspection prior to customs clearance. Five hours later, while he was washing his hands, pruritus, erythema and vesicles developed over the exposed area. The skin condition worsened within two weeks, extending to his whole body with generalized erythema and vesicles of various sizes. Some vesicles became confluent with ruptured bullae, resembling a second degree burn over 40% of the body. Elevation of the serum IgE (705 mu/mL, normal less than 300 mu/mL) and lymphocyte activation with an increased 3H-thymidine uptake by the patient's mononuclear cells suggested that this episode resulted from a cell-mediated allergic skin reaction. The skin lesions improved progressively after systemic steroid therapy for about two weeks. Dimethyl cyanocarbonimidodithioate is used as a raw material for cimetidine synthesis by some pharmaceutical manufacturers. Our experience suggests that a severe reaction similar to that caused by another H2-blocker, ranitidine and its intermediate may be caused by dimethyl cyanocarbonimidodithioate in occupational exposures. Systemic steroid administration is beneficial in treatment.

Neutrophil chemiluminescence following exposure to formaldehyde in healthy subjects and in patients with contact dermatitis.

13 formaldehyde-sensitive contact dermatitis patients and 5 healthy subjects were exposed to formaldehyde (FM) at a concentration 0.5 mg/m3, in an exposure chamber for 2 hours. There was no significant decrease of the ventilatory parameters either in healthy subjects or in contact dermatitis patients following the exposure Bronchial hyperreactivity to histamine (PC20) increased in one healthy and two patients with contact dermatitis. Neutrophils were isolated from whole venous blood before the test and 30 minutes and 24 hours after the exposure. All subjects with allergic contact dermatitis had chemiluminescence higher before the FM provocation in a comparison with the healthy ones. It increased significantly 30 minutes post the exposure and was much higher 24 hours after the exposure in the comparison with the neutrophil chemiluminescence before the test.

[The epidemiology, diagnosis and prevention of dermatoses in workers manufacturing alumina from different aluminum ores]. / Epidemiologiia, diagnostika i profilaktika dermatozov u rabochikh proizvodstva glinozema iz razlichnykh aliuminievykh rud.

Studies of dermatological morbidity in the workers of alumina enterprises showed a lowered incidence of skin lesions caused by common chemical harmfulness and increased incidence of allergic occupational dermatoses. Different types of such dermatoses are related to the ore used. The total level dermatologic morbidity mainly depends on the technology stage of the process but not on the type of raw material. Dermatologic screenings have shown that skin mycoses were the most incident among the dermatoses, whereas analysis of sick-leave records indicates the highest incidence of pyoderma; this necessitates adequate preventive measures.

Dermatitis among workers cleaning the Sacramento River after a chemical spill--California, 1991.

On July 14, 1991, a train tanker car derailed in northern California, spilling 19,000 gallons of the soil fumigant metam sodium (sodium methyldithiocarbamate) into the Sacramento River north of Redding (Figure 1). The major breakdown product of metam sodium, methylisothiocyanate (MITC), is a known skin irritant at high concentrations (greater than 1%). By July 21, the concentration of MITC in the river, at multiple test sites, measured 20-40 parts per billion (0.01%). On August 6, Shasta County health officials notified the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) of an outbreak of dermatitis among Shasta County jail inmates and crew leaders who had assisted in removing dead fish from the river on July 21-22 in greater than 100 F (greater than 38 C) ambient temperature.

Hyposensitization to urushiol among Japanese lacquer craftsmen: results of patch tests on students learning the art of lacquerware.

8 subjects learning the art of lacquerware were patch tested to urushiol before and after contact with lacquer, in order to document whether hyposensitization to urushiol occurred among Japanese lacquer craftsmen. Simultaneously, we performed patch tests on 2 urushiol-sensitized controls who had no contact with lacquer during the investigation. Lacquer is made from the sap of the Japanese lacquer tree and raw lacquer is composed of 60-65% urushiol and its oligomer. 5 of the 8 subjects showed positive reactions to urushiol 1 month after their first contact. They became negative or less positive after prolonged (9 or 10 months) exposure to lacquer. As reactions to urushiol decreased, dermatitis became less severe. Controls showed consistently high reactions. However, 1 subject showed persistently strong reactions to urushiol. Unlike the other 7 subjects, he was previously sensitized to urushiol before the first contact with lacquer. The remaining 2 subjects showed no reaction throughout our investigation. These results strongly suggest that hyposensitization to urushiol does occur among Japanese lacquer craftsmen.

Patch testing in cases of eczema and dermatitis in Beijing, China.

Of 124 patients with eczema and dermatitis patch tested by the European standard series of allergens in the period from April to October 1989, 59 cases showed sensitivity to 1 or more allergens. Potassium dichromate, nickel sulphate and cobalt chloride were the 3 major sensitizers, with a frequency of 17.9%, 13.8% and 10.6%, respectively. The office and factory workers showed a higher incidence of positive reactions than the student group. The environment of the office and the factory seems to be the potential source of exacerbating factors of eczematous skin disease.