Allergic contact dermatitis from topical medicaments (part I)

The authors re-examine the problem of allergic contact dermatitis due to topical medicaments which has still to be frequently addressed by dermatologists even though epidemiological studies show that sensitization to topical medicaments is slowly decreasing due to a reduced prescription of ointments containing associations of drugs. Previous well-known allergens such as neomycin and ethylenediamine continue to sensitize; new drugs acting as allergens, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids are now marketed. Allergy to topical corticosteroids is become an emerging problem. The authors reviews the principal groups of drugs responsible for allergic contact dermatitis and discuss the main allergological problems connected with their use.