A. Morenoancillo et al., ALLERGIC CONTACT REACTIONS DUE TO PHENYLEPHRINE HYDROCHLORIDE IN EYEDROPS, Annals of allergy, asthma, & immunology, 78(6), 1997, pp. 569-572
Background: Dermatitis of and around the eye is common. Allergic conta
ct reactions from phenylephrine are rare despite extensive use by opht
halmologists. Previous reports do not indicate crossreactivity between
phenylephrine and other sympathomimetic drugs in patch testing. Metho
ds: We report three cases of allergic contact reactions (dermato-conju
nctivitis) after eyedrops. Skin prick tests, epicutaneous testing with
the implicated drugs, additives, and a complete patch test battery, T
RUE test (Upjohn-Pharmacia, Sweden), were performed in each patient. R
esults: All skin prick tests were negative. The three patients showed
positive patch tests to phenylephrine and one of them also to ephedrin
e. Tolerance of the other eyedrops without phenylephrine was verified
by challenge. Conclusion: Phenylephrine was the responsible agent for
the reactions in our patients as confirmed by clinical findings and po
sitive patch tests. Our findings suggest the central structure as the
sensitizing part of drug in the second patient. Patch testing is essen
tial for diagnosis of allergic contact reactions of and around the eye
.