Sensitivity to Patent Blue dye during skin-prick testing and lymphography. A retrospective and prospective study.

Abstract

The value of prospective skin-prick testing in the detection of hypersensitivity to Patent Blue dye (PB) was evaluated. Positive reactions were seen in 2.7% of 566 controls and 2.8% of 435 patients referred for lymphography. When PB injection was restricted to the patients with a negative skin test, only 2 of 423 patients (0.5%) exhibited a clinical hypersensitivity reaction during PB injection, compared to 6 of 273 patients (2.2%) who were not subjected to skin testing. Only 4 persons with a positive skin test had a history of adverse reactions to blue dye.