THE PERSISTENCE OF ALLERGIC ECZEMATOUS SENSITIVITY AND THE CROSS-SENSITIVITY PATTERN TO PARAPHENYLENEDIAMINE

[摘要] Of 712 patients referred to the Allergy Section of the New York Skin and Cancer Unit and patch tested with 2% PPD (paraphenylenediamine) in petrolatum 3.6% showed strongly positive (3-4+) reactions to this allergen. Forty-six of 50 patients with strong hypersensitivity to PPD retained this sensitivity over a period of 3 to 10 years. In this series of 46 PPD reactors, there were 11 who gave cross-reactions to benzo-caine, 4 who gave cross-reactions to procaine and benzocaine, 3 who reacted to PABA and benzocaine, and 1 who reacted to sulfanilimide. Repeated exposure to PPD did not affect the level of PPD sensitivity of the patients in this series. Repeated exposure to PPD and/or related allergens did not, as a rule, broaden the established spectrum of cross-sensitivity of the patients studied in this series.