Compound allergy. An overview.

This review defines the term "compound allergy" in the context of new findings, and discusses evidence that allergenic reaction products have been identified. Material was gathered by searching Index Medicus and the Science Citation Index, and reviewing several standard texts. Issues regarding the validity of patch test results are addressed and we introduce the term "pseudocompound allergy" to cover cases of false-negative patch tests. We present new theories regarding the mechanisms by which new allergens are formed and a means of classification.