EPIDERMAL SENSITIVITY TO PENICILLIN

Abstract

IN A previous study¹ we reported the results obtained by means of a penicillin ointment in the treatment of 48 patients with pyogenic infections of the skin. Most of the cutaneous infections were cured or improved, but a contact dermatitis developed in 5 of these patients during treatment. Of these 5 patients 2 were available for patch tests. Positive reactions to patch tests were obtained only with commercial penicillin sodium, indicating that penicillin sodium was responsible for the sensitivity in these cases. The present work was undertaken to determine whether or not persons could be sensitized to the penicillin ointment and what ingredient of the ointment was responsible for the sensitivity. Contact dermatitis has been reported in persons who handle the salts of penicillin. Applying test patches to some of them has revealed that the sensitivity may be due to penicillin salts. Pyle and Rattner² reported