ALLERGY TO PERFUMES

Allergy to perfumes and scented products is very frequent, with a grow ing incidence due to the ever-increasing use of these products. It can induce respiratory or neurological manifestations, but especially cut aneous manifestations : isolated pruritus, various forms of eczema the most suggestive being erythematous or nummular, the most misleading r esembling seborrhoeic eczema, psoriasis or lupus erythematous - involv ing variable sites, mainly the face, especially the eyelids, and hands , frequently associated with dyshidrosiform features; photosensitizati on due to allergic or toxic mechanisms, contact urticaria. Clinical te als consist of immediate reading open patch tests, delayed reading occ lusive patch teals and photo patch tests : all these tests are perform ed with the perfumes themselves, scented constituents, either isolated or in mixtures (fragrance-mix), without neglecting the value of marke rs for perfume allergy (mainly Peru balsam and wood tars). The ROATest and Fisher's lest are some times useful. Treatment is dominated by el imination of contact with allergens, which is particularly difficult t o achieve when simple exposure to a scented atmosphere or ingestion of a food flavouring is sufficient to trigger the lesions.