Multiple Corticosteroid Orally Elicited Allergic Contact Dermatitis in a Patient With Multiple Topical Corticosteroid Allergic Contact Dermatitis

Corticoid allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) may be topically or systemically elicited. Allergic contact dermatitis to topical corticosteroids is relatively common, whereas reports of orally elicited ACD to corticosteroids are rarer. Patients allergic to one corticosteroid often exhibit cross-reactivity to other corticoids. We have previously reported a 46-year-old woman with contact allergy documented by patch and provocative use testing to multiple topical corticosteroids. On further testing, she was thought to have multiple corticoid orally elicited ACD to triamcinolone, methyl prednisolone, dexamethasone, and prednisone. Oral provocation tests were performed in a single-blind fashion following the method of Alanko and Kauppinen [Diagnosis of drug eruptions: clinical evaluation and drug challenges. In, Skin Reactions to Drugs (Kauppinen K, Alanko K, Hannuksela M, Maibach HI, eds). Boca Raton, FL, CRC Press, 1998.]. The five oral corticosteroids tested were triamcinolone, methyl prednisolone, dexamethasone, prednisone, and hydrocortisone. Four of the five challenged corticosteroids (i.e., triamcinolone, methyl prednisolone, dexamethasone, and prednisone) produced a generalized maculopapular eruption in a delayed manner. The fifth challenged corticoid, hydrocortisone, had no adverse effect on this patient. This patient was unusual in that she exhibited polysensitivity to a spectrum of oral and topical corticosteroids. Hydrocortisone was identified as a corticosteroid for future clinical use. This is an important finding since corticosteroids are important emergency drugs.