Cellular phone dermatitis with chromate allergy.

BACKGROUND

A patient with allergic contact dermatitis caused by hexavalent chromium plating on a cellular phone has already been reported.

OBJECTIVES

This study described the clinical characteristics and results of patch tests in 8 patients with contact dermatitis possibly caused by handling a cellular phone.

PATIENTS: The 8 patients were 4 males and 4 females aged from 14 to 54 years. They each noticed skin eruptions after 9-25 days of using a cellular phone. All patients had erythema, and 7 had papules on the hemilateral auricle or in the preauricular region. Three of 8 patients had a history of metal allergy. Chromate, aluminium and acrylnitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer were used as plating on the cellular phones used by these patients.

METHODS

Closed patch tests and photopatch tests were performed using metal standard antigens.

RESULTS

The patch test was positive for 0.5, 0.1 and 0.05% potassium dichromate in all 8 patients. The photopatch test showed the same results. One patient was positive for 2% cobalt chloride and one for 5% nickel sulfate.

CONCLUSION

It is important to consider the possibility of contact dermatitis due to a cellular phone, possibly caused by chromate, when the patients have erythema and papules on the hemilateral auricle or in the preauricular region.