Patch testing with natural rubber latex: the Mayo Clinic experience.

BACKGROUND

delayed hypersensitivity reactions to natural rubber latex (NRL) have been recognized. These reactions may contribute to allergic contact dermatitis. We therefore have undertaken patch testing of patients with NRL if they are suspected to have allergic contact dermatitis to rubber.

OBJECTIVE

to review results of patch testing with NRL (January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2007).

METHODS

patients suspected of having allergic contact dermatitis from rubber who underwent patch testing with NRL were identified retrospectively. For safety reasons, patients with immediate hypersensitivity to NRL were excluded from patch testing.

RESULTS

of 148 patients patch-tested with NRL, 3 (2.0%) had an allergic patch-test reaction.

CONCLUSIONS

NRL is as common a cause of allergic contact dermatitis as many of the other allergens included in a specialized rubber allergen series. Patients suspected to be allergic to rubber should be patch-tested with NRL (provided they do not have type 1 hypersensitivity to NRL).