Allergic contact dermatitis from topical medicaments: an update (part II)

Allergies from topical medicaments are not always caused by active principles. They may also be due to excipients, such as preservatives, emulsifiers and even perfumes that may unexpectedly be found in medicaments. Patients affected by chronic dermatitis or leg ulcers are at high risk to develop allergic sensitivity from excipients of topical medicaments. In this review the authors address some clinical problems such as the course of allergic contact dermatitis, the risk of developing id-like reactions, erythema multiforme-like eruptions or even systemic contact dermatitis. The latter is an unusual clinical pattern which may flare up after the systemic administration of drugs previously responsible for allergic eczema.