A CONTROLLED-STUDY OF GOLD CONTACT HYPERSENSITIVITY

1203 patients attending for routine patch testing at 3 hospitals and 1 05 volunteers were tested with 0.5% and 0.05% gold sodium thiosulfate (GST). 38 patients (3.2%) and 5 volunteers (4.8%) had positive patch t ests to GST. There were no significant differences between volunteers and patients with respect to age, sex, atopy or exposure to gold in de ntal restorations, jewellery or through occupation. There were no sign ificant differences in prevalence of GST hypersensitivity in the 3 hos pitals, or between patients and controls. This is the Ist controlled s tudy of hypersensitivity to GST, and suggests that routine patch testi ng to gold is of limited clinical benefit. (C) Munksgaard, 1998.