A STUDY OF 72 PATIENTS WITH CONTACT ALLERGY TO TIOCONAZOLE

Over a 3 1/2-year period, from 1991 to 1994, we detected contact aller gy to tioconazole in 72 patients by epicutaneous testing. During this period, tioconazole was included in the standard series of epicutaneou s tests. Except for the first 6 months, the incidence of positive patc h test reactions to tioconazole was over 1% of patients tested for con tact allergy. As well as those tested with the standard series, 18 add itional patients with tioconazole allergy were detected by direct test ing with an imidazole patch test series, Of the various imidazole deri vatives, tioconazole was the most important contact allergen. About ha lf of patients with contact hypersensitivity to tioconazole, had addit ional contact allergies detected by the standard series, Men and women were equally affected. The present study suggests that tioconazole is an important contact allergen, which should be included into the patc h test series in countries where it is used as a topical antifungal ag ent.