PURPURA CAUSED BY EMLA(R) IS OF TOXIC ORIGIN

Emla(R) cream has been widely used as a local anaesthetic for superfic ial procedures. Blanching and redness are commonly observed side-effec ts. We observed purpura in 5 patients after application of Emla(R). Ot her authors have not reported this before. In 4 patients, purpura was observed after 30 min Emla(R) application before the treatment of moll usca contagiosa. In 1 patient, Emla(R) was used for 60 min before taki ng a lip biopsy. In these patients, patch tests were performed with th e individual ingredients of Emla(R) cream, Emla(R) cream itself, place bo cream, and Tegaderm(R) plaster. All tests were negative at an early reading after 30 min as well as after 2 and 3 days. We concluded that the purpuric reaction was not of an allergic nature. Possibly, it was caused by a toxic effect on the capillary endothelium. (C) Munskgaard , 1997.