Latex hypersensitivity/glove component reaction as a contributing factor to osteomyelitis of the hand: a case report and review of the literature.

A patient with a known glove-related allergy/irritation has been diagnosed with osteomyelitis of the left ring finger. The patient's susceptibility to bone and soft tissue infection is due to an open skin fissure and an eczematoid dermatitis due to a work-related glove reaction. This article is presented to alert readers of the Journal of the Louisiana State Medical Society to the possibility of encountering this unusual complication of latex glove wear and to familiarize them with irritant and allergic contact dermatitis. This report is relevant as the incidence of occupational-related glove reactions has risen and continues to rise.