Abstract

Aims 1) To determine actual frequency of sensitization to the most common contact allergens present in ophtalmic products. 2) To assess clinical relevance of the results and detect sources of sensitization. Methods A total number of 1881 patients (mean age 46.5 years, 357 men, 1,524 women) with periorbital dermatitis underwent patch tested between the years 2001 and 2016 and were retrospectively enrolled into our study. Results The highest frequency of sensitization was found with thimerosal (9.7%), followed by neomycin sulfate (2.6%), benzalkonium chloride (1.3%), and parabens (0.6%). In terms of clinical relevance however the most important allergen was neomycin sulfate. Conclusion The most important allergens in ophtalmologic products in our study were neomycin sulfate followed by benzalkonium chloride. With every case of periorbital dermatitis patch tests should be considered, not only with commercial test allergens but with patient’s actual ophtalmic preparations as well.

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