2110 Clinical Features of Systemic Contact Dermatitis from Ingestion of Rhus

Thursday, 15 October 2015
Hall D1 Foyer (Floor 3) (Coex Convention Center)

Young-Hee Nam, MD , Internal Medicine, Dong-a University School of Medicine, Busan, South Korea

Chansun Park, MD , Haeundae Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea

Soo-Keol Lee, MD, PhD , Internal Medicine, Dong-a University School of Medicine, Busan, South Korea

Background: Systemic contact dermatitis (SCD) is an inflammatory skin disease that may occur in persons with contact allergy when they are exposed to the allergens systematically including orally, transcutaneously, per rectum, intravesically, intravenously, or by inhalation. The most common causes of SCD are drugs used both topically and systemically. Other causes are ubiquitously occuring haptens, such as the metals nickel, cobalt, gold, and chromate, and aromatic substances such as spices. SCD from plants has been seen following ingestion of various rhus preparations. In Korea, Rhus has been used as a folk medicine to cure gastrointestinal diseases and as a health food, it is common to observe patients with accidental or occupational Rhus dermatitis, and also SCD caused by ingestion of Rhus.

Objective: We investigated the clinical features of SCD caused by Rhus.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 11 patients with SCD caused Rhus in Dong-A University hospital and Haeundae Paik Hospital.

Results: Nine (81.8%) were women, and average age was 58.91±10.29 years (range 45-75). The way of Rhus ingestion was boiled chicken with Rhus (n=9, 81.8%), Rhus vegetables (n=1), and Rhus sap (n=1). All patients experienced generalized pruritus and erythematous maculopapular rash. The patients developed erythema multiforme (n=2), vesiculobullous lesion (n=3), urticaria (n=3), and angioedema (n=1). Extracutaneous symptoms were duodenal ischemia (n=1), hypotension (n=2), fever (n=4), and oral mucositis (n=1). The mean latency period was 1.45±0.69 days (range 1-3), and mean recovery times were 12.27±3.77 days (range 5-18). Systemic corticosteroid was administered in 10 (90.9%) for 18.09±15.44 days (range 4-47).

Conclusions: SCD from ingestion of Rhus showed various cutaneous manifestation mainly erythematous maculopapuar eruption, and also extracutaneous symptoms. Most of the patients recovered well with the treatment of systemic corticosteroids.