Allergic contact dermatitis to adhesive bandages.

More than two billion Band-Aid Brand Sheer Strips are used in the United States yearly, yet allergic contact dermatitis resulting from their use is nearly nonexistent. We report four patients with allergic reactions to these strips. One patient reacted to tricresyl phosphate, the plasticizer in the vinyl backing; another patient was allergic to 2,5-di(tertiary-amyl)hydroquinone, the antioxidant in the adhesive. In the other two patients, the allergic contact dermatitis remains unexplained.