LAUSR

A 63-year-old woman visited the allergology department with dermatitis of the face and forearms, occurring after wearing a new unwashed blue synthetic jacket (90% polyamide and 10% down) in the rain. In the past she experienced dermatitis on the breasts after wearing an unwashed new black bra. She had no atopic personal or family history. Patch testing, performed with the European baseline, local supplementary, and perfume series according to the ESCD guideline, showed positive results for Disperse Blue 106, textile dye mix, fragrances, and preservatives. Additional testing with textile dyes from Chemotechnique Diagnostics (Vellinge, Sweden) (1% pet.) showed positive patch test reactions to acid, basic, disperse, and reactive dyes, namely, Acid Red 118, Basic Red 46, Disperse Blue 35, 106, 124, and 153, as well as Disperse Brown 1, Orange 3, Red 17, and Yellow 3. Moreover, Reactive Black 5, Blue 238, and Red 123, 228, and 238 elicited positive patch test reactions. These were not considered to represent an angry back syndrome. These positive results were considered clinically relevant because of a clear correlation between wearing some unwashed garments and a flare-up of dermatitis. Wearing white or light-colored clothes and washing new clothes before wearing was recommended. After pimecrolimus cream 10 mg/g treatment and eliminating all allergens, the skin lesions disappeared. During the next 6 months short-lasting eczema occurred after shopping for new clothes.