Patch colophony

Sadhra, S., Foulds, I.S., and Gray, C.N., Oxidation of resin acids in colophony (rosin) and its implications for patch testing. Contact Dermatitis, 39, 58, 1998. 

In one case, allergic contact dermatitis to tea tree oil presented with an extensive erythema multiforme-like reaction (16). However, a skin biopsy from a target-like lesion showed a spongiotic dermatitis without the features of erythema multiforme. Five months after treatment with systemic and topical glucocorticoids, patch testing elicited a 3+ reaction to old, oxidized tea tree oil, a 2+ reaction to fresh tea tree oil, a 2+ reaction to colophony, a 1+ reaction to abitol, and a 1+ reaction to balsam of Peru. 

Wood and coal tar are described in detail in Sect.E.L These tars are irritants but contact allergic reactions do occur. Van Andel et al. (1974) found 9% of 650 persons tested positive to wood tar 7% reacted to coal tar. Many showed crossreactions to balsam of Peru, colophony, and turpentine. By repeated testing of 33 tar reactors, only 20 were positive to wood tar. Juniper tar was the most active. The majority of patch test reactions to tars are irritant reactions as indicated by Rothenborg and Hjorth (1968). 

In 84 male woodwork teachers there was a high incidence of allergic reactions to colophony using patch tests to a supplemented European standard series and acetone extracts of wood dust of pine, spruce, juniper, and birch 19% had mild hand eczema and there was contact allergy to several allergens in the working environment, including benzisothiazolin-3-one, nickel, formaldehyde, and colophony [52 ]. 

Contact sensitizers from a patient s own materials, such as formaldehyde, isothiazolinones, nickel, chromium, cobalt, colophony (in the form of resin acids), epoxy resin oligomers, reactive diluents, acrylates, methacrylates, polyamines and di-isocyanates, can be analyzed. In fact, any product can be analyzed, but it is not a routine task for laboratories and may be very expensive. There are two main reasons for chemical analyses. First, on patch testing, the patient is found to be allergic to a specific chemical, and the causative product(s) are analyzed for the chemical. Second, the patient s own material has caused an allergic test reaction, but MSDS or other information from the manufacturer did not reveal the causative chemical. In this case, it may be reasonable to analyze the material... 

Bruze 1986 Holness et al. 1995). Studies of the prevalence in general populations are very sparse. A Danish study (Nielsen and Menne 1992) shows that 0.7% of a population of 576 individuals reacted to colophony at patch testing. 

In one study, 83 patients in whom contact allergy to colophony had been diagnosed at an occupational dermatological clinic were followed up after 9-13 years. At least 30% had current hand eczema on follow-up examination. Among those in whom the dermatitis had started on the hands, there were proportionally more individuals with current hand eczema than among those in whom the onset had been on other parts of the body. At the time of the investigation, 72% of the participants were still patch-test positive to colophony, and more than half had additional positive reactions to other allergens (Farm 1996). 

Farm G (1996) Contact allergy to colophony and hand eczema. A follow-up study of patients with previously diagnosed allergy to colophony. Contact Dermatitis 34 93-100 Farm G, Liden C, Karlberg A-T (1994) A clinical and patch test study in a tail-oil rosin factory. Contact Dermatitis 31 102-107 Farm G, Karlberg A-T, Liden C (1995) Are opera-house artistes afflicted with contact allergy to colophony and cosmetics Contact Dermatitis 32 273-280... 

Hausen BM, Loll M (1993) Contact allergy due to colophony (VIII). The sensitizing potency of commercial products an investigation of French and German modified-colophony derivatives. Contact Dermatitis 29 189-191 Hausen BN, Mohnert J (1989) Contact allergy due to colophony (V). Patch test results with different types of colophony and modified-colophony products. Contact Dermatitis 20 295-301... 

Holness DL, Nethercott JR, Adams RM, et al. (1995) Concomitant positive patch test results with standard screening tray in North America 1985-1989. Contact Dermatitis 32 289-292 Karlberg A-T (1988) Contact allergy to colophony. Chemical identifications of allergens, sensitization experiments and clinical experiences. Acta Derm Venereol (Stockh) Suppl 139 1-43... 

Karlberg A-T, Liden C (1985) Clinical experience and patch testing using colophony (rosin) from different sources. Br J Dermatol 113 475-481... 

Karlberg A-T, Liden C (1988) Comparison of colophony patch test preparations. Contact Dermatitis 18 158-165 Karlberg A-T, Liden C (1992) Colophony (rosin) in newspapers may contribute to hand eczema. Br J Dermatol 126 161-165... 

Karlberg A-T, Liden C, Ehrin E (1991) Colophony in mascara as a cause of eyelid dermatitis. Chemical analyses and patch testing. Acta Derm Venerol 71 445-447 Karlberg A-T, Gafvert E, Liden C (1995) Environmentally friendly paper may increase the risk of hand eczema in rosin-sensitive persons. J Am Acad Dermatol 33 427-432 Karlberg A-T, Gafvert E, Meding B, et al. (1996) Airborne contact dermatitis from unexpected exposure to rosin (colophony). Contact Dermatitis 35 272-278... 

Mallon E, Powell SM (1994) Allergic contact dermatitis from Granuflex hydrocolloid dressing. Contact Dermatitis 30 110 Marks JG Jr, Belsito DV, DeLeo VA, et al. (1995) North American Contact Dermatitis group standard tray patch test results (1992-1994). Am J Contact Dermat 6 160-165 Matos J, Mariano A, Gon alo S, et al. (1988) Occupational dermatitis from colophony. Contact Dermatitis 18 53... 

Schehade SA, Beck MH, Hillier VF (1991) Epidemiological survey of standard series patch test results and observations on day 2 and day 4 readings. Contact Dermatitis 24 119-122 Shao LP, Gafvert E, Karlberg A-T, et al. (1993) The allergenicity of glycerol esters and other esters of rosin (colophony). Contact Dermatitis 28 229-234... 

Soltes EJ, Zinkel DF (1989) Chemistry of rosin. In Zinkel DF, Russel J (eds) Naval stores. Production-chemistry-utilization, 1st edn. Pulp Chemicals Association, New York, pp 261-345 Veien NK, Mattel T, Laurberg G (1992) Patch test results from a private dermatologic practice for two periods of 5 years with a 10-year interval. Am J Contact Dermat 3 189-192 Watsky KL (1997) Airborne allergic contact dermatitis from pine dust. Am J Contact Dermat 8 118-120 Widstrom L (1983) Contact allergy to colophony in soldering flux. Contact Dermatitis 9 205-207... 

In patients hypersensitive to phenol-formaldehyde resin (resol), simultaneous patch-test reactions to formaldehyde, colophony, hydroabietyl alcohol, balsam of Peru, perfume mixture and p-ferf-butylphenol-formaldehyde resin have been reported. In patients hypersensitive to p-terf-butylphenol-formaldehyde resin (resol), simultaneous patch-test reactions to hydroabietyl alcohol, balsam of Peru and phenol-formaldehyde resin have been reported (Bruze 1986). 

Flux dermatitis typically involves finger pulps and periungual areas, and from contamination of workbenches, the ulnar borders of the forearms [41]. It is important to patch test to the patient s own colophony in addition to that in commercially available batteries [35> 36]. 

Positive patch-test reactions to silicon-based impression materials, essential oils, colophony, Peru balsam. X-ray developers, waxes, fragrances and disinfectants have been reported (Kanerva et al. 1986 Hensten-Pettersen and Jacobsen 1990 Munksgaard et al. 1996 Richter 1996 Cleenewerck 1997). Occasionally, contact sensitizations to local anesthetics can still be found in dentists (Hensten-Pettersen and Jacobsen 1990 Rustemeyer et al. 1994). 

Patch testing is important both diagnostically and differential-diagnostically. Cases of facial-skin complaints that have been related to the office environment have turned out to be contact allergies to materials such as nail polish, mascara, perfume, colophony, flowers (such as primula) or herbicides (Liden 1990). 

Hand eczema can occur, due to colophony, from handling paper and newsprint (without ink) (Liden and Karlberg 1992). Papers based on mechanical pulps ( environmentally friendly paper ) may have a greater potential to elicit positive patch-test reactions than papers made from other pulps. The increased use of mechanical pulps in different applications may increase the incidence of rosin-related hand eczema (Karlberg et al. 1995). 

Thermosensitive telefax paper contains a base paper and a thermosensitive colour-forming layer. Kanerva et al. (1992) reported occupational allergic contact dermatitis caused by colophony in telefax paper. Hand dermatitis that improved on job leave and during vacations and that relapsed on return to work was traced to colophony in telefax paper containing 1% colophony. Patch testing with this fax paper gave only partial reactivity (Kanerva et al. 1992). 

Resins, especially those containing epoxy, colophony, and PTEP-FR, are used as adhesives and glues in sports equipment. Reports of contact allergy include facial dermatitis from epoxy resin glue inside a helmet (Malanin and Kalimo 1985), erythematous facial dermatitis from colophony in a bowlsgrip (Elair 1982), and a well-demarcated linear erythematous vesicular patch on the back of a leg from the PTEP-FR and/or phenol-formaldehyde resin in a knee-guard (Vincenzi et al. 1992). 

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