Allergic contact dermatitis from propellants in deodorant sprays in combination with allergy to ethyl chloride.

Allergic contact eczema from the use of deodorant sprays is sometimes caused by sensitization to the propellants. Positive reactions were seen in three patients when patch testing to Freon 11 (trichloromonofluoromethane). One patient also reacted to Freon 12 (dichlorofluoromethane). Another patient had an eczematous eruption after ethyl chloride was sprayed on the skin prior to taking biopsy. The two other patients showed strongly positive patch tests with this compound. Further investigations of the sensitizing capacity propellants with chemical resemblance have to be carried out to solve the problem of cross-sensitization.