EPIDEMIOLOGIC SIGNIFICANCE OF BUFEXAMAC AS A FREQUENT AND RELEVANT CONTACT SENSITIZER

Bufexamac-containing ointments and creams are widely used by many pati ents with eczematous disorders as an alternative to topical corticoste roids. Recent studies provide evidence of a notable prevalence of cont act sensitization in patch test populations. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of use of this topically-applied drug by ecze ma patients in general, and to evaluate its potential to cause allergi c contact reactions. 500 routinely patch tested patients (f:m=377:123) were tested with bufexamac 5% and Parfenac(R) ointment (the only comm ercial product available in Austria) in addition to the standard and o ther series of the German Contact Dermatitis Group. The packaging of t he commercial product was shown to the entire study population, to dec ide whether or not they had ever used this product. In addition, their general practitioner was contacted to verify the anamnestic data. A t otal of 30 patients agreed that they had definitely used bufexamac, 5 others having probably applied it. The indication for and the duration of treatment were noted. Positive and relevant patch test reactions t o bufexamac, as well as the bufexamac-containing ointment, were seen i n 20 out of these 35 patients (57%), and sensitization occurred even a fter short-term application. Our study demonstrates that bufexamac has to be assumed to be a topical drug with a very high sensitization rat e in an unselected patch test population (4% of 500 patients), and sho uld therefore be added to the standard series.