A 10-year retrospective study on palladium sensitivity.

BACKGROUND

Palladium has become an important contact allergen because of increased use in industry, jewelry, and dentistry.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the frequency of palladium allergy in a US patch-test population tested to palladium.

METHODS

A 10-year retrospective review (1997-2006) was performed on patients sensitive to palladium at the Department of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

RESULTS

A total of 910 patients were tested to a series that included palladium chloride 2% in petrolatum. A palladium-positive patch-test result was noted in 110 patients (12.1%). Of the 106 patients sensitized to palladium who had records available for review, 15.1% had a diagnosis of lichen planus-like eruptions; 13.2%, burning mouth; 27.4%, stomatitis; and 29.2%, hand and body dermatitis.

CONCLUSION

Palladium sensitivity is more common in oral diseases than in skin. We describe a previously unknown high degree of co-reactivity of gold with palladium to the same degree as the known co-reactivity with nickel.