Contact Dermatitis Due to Plants in Chandigarh

Abstract

Two hundred and seven patients (151 males and 56 females) were patch tested with a battery of plants, potassium dichromate and formaldehyde. Sensitivity to Parthenium hysterophorus. Nerium indicum, Calotropis procera, Eucalyptus sp and Mangifera indica was found in 60.87, 23.64, 15.46 andl2.08% patients respectively. One hundred and twenty six patients (92 males and 34 females ) including five teenage girls and one 13 years old child had parthenium dermatitis. Majority (74.60%) were between 30 to 59 years of age. Dermatitis involving face especially eyelids, neck, cubital and popliteal fossae was the common (82.54%) mode of presentation. Photosensitive pattern was seen in 9.51% and chronic lichenification of extremities in the remaining 7.97% patients Parthenium dermatitis was seen more frequently in city dwellers, while farmers constituted only 20.7% of all cases. There was frequent patch test positivity to potassium dichromate (24.i5%) and formaline (28.02%) in the present patients.