Protein contact dermatitis - A case report

Abstract

Protein contact dermatitis is a unique occupational dermatitis with a characteristic episodic, eczematous, itchy vesicular eruption mostly on the hands of food handlers. It usually develops several minutes after handling the offending allergens. It is either a combined type I and type IV or a type I hypersensitivity reaction alone. The diagnosis is made by skin prick or scratch test using the causative agents. We report such a case in a 28-year-old baker, a patient with chronic hand eczema, who had a 6-year history of a pruritic vesicular rash immediately after handling certain foods. A diagnosis of protein contact dermatitis was made by demonstrating positive reaction to a prick test with cucumber, egg white, and egg yolk.