Allergic Contact Dermatitis to Mastisol Adhesive Used for Skin Closure in Orthopedic Surgery: A Case Report

Abstract

We report on a rare case of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) from Mastisol liquid adhesive. We are aware of a few reports in the medical literature, but none describes an allergic reaction during the third exposure to the offending agent. Our patient was a 20-year-old Caucasian man with a history of cerebral palsy spastic hemiplegia who underwent single-event multilevel soft-tissue surgery to optimize function of his left upper extremity. He developed a severe cutaneous allergic reaction after his third exposure to Mastisol. He was subsequently admitted to the inpatient service and managed without further complications by a multidisciplinary team comprising orthopedics, pediatrics, and dermatology. We discuss the etiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of this entity, and we also review relevant available literature on the subject. We aim at creating further awareness of allergic reactions because of exposure to available skin-prepping and wound-dressing agents.