Compositae florists

Some people, especially florists and gardeners affected by the Compositae plants suffer from contact dermatitis, known as "Chrysanthemum allergy" or "Compositae dermatitis" in general. Main source of this allergy is the attachment of the airborne plant particles to the skin [167]. On the other hand, Guin and Skidmore has reported that contact dermatitis to Compositae plants can be confused with photosensitivity or atopic eczema [168]. However, these plants are still found to be an important factor in the patients with summer exacerbation of dermatitis, even without photosensitivity [169]. 

Contact dermatitis to plants can mimic almost any other form of contact dermatitis, but in the United States most cases are easily recognized because poison ivy and its relatives are the leading cause of plant dermatitis. With experience, one can perhaps at least suspect the cause in those eruptions caused by the Compositae and other plants containing sesquiterpene lactones. Eruptions from sesquiterpene lactones are reported in woodcutters in the Pacific Northwest [4], in farmers in most of the United States [5], and in retail [6] and wholesale [7] florists and flower sellers [3]. 

Compositae dermatitis was covered in more detail in the first section. Farmers are perhaps more likely to become allergic to weeds, while florists often break out to chrysanthemum [357, 358] and other flowering species. Many such patients experience multiple sensitivities, either as a concomitant or cross-reaction [157], and sensitivity can be severe [6]. Gardeners (or perhaps more accurately, groundskeepers [315]) represented the occupational cases of dandelion dermatitis in one series. 

Merrick C, Penney J, Clarke EC, et al. (1991) A survey of skin problems in floristry. Contact Dermatitis 24 306 Rook AJ (1961) Plant dermatitis. The significance of variety-specific sensitization. Br J Dermatol 73 283 Rook A (1981) Alstroemeria causing contact dermatitis in a florist also allergic to tulips. Contact Dermatitis Newslett 7 166 Ross JS, du Peloux Menage H, Hawk JLM, et d. (1993) Sesquiterpene lactone contact sensitivity. Clinical patterns of Compositae dermatitis and relationship to chronic actinic dermatitis. Contact Dermatitis 29 84-87 Rycroft RJG (1996) Dermatitis in florists. Semin Dermatol 15 83-85... 

---