Contact sensitivity to chloramphenicol

Allergic contact dermatitis to topical antibiotics: Epidemiology, responsible allergens, and management

Topical antibiotics are widely used to treat cutaneous, ocular, and otic infections. Allergic contact dermatitis to topical antibiotics is a rare but well-documented side effect, especially in at-risk populations. The purpose of this article is to review the epidemiology, responsible allergens, and management of allergic contact dermatitis to topical antibiotics.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

After completing this learning activity, participants should be able to describe the epidemiology of allergic contact dermatitis related to topical antibiotics; show knowledge of the most common allergenic topical antibiotics; and understand the allergenic cross-reactivity pattern amongst topical antibiotics.

Contact dermatitis due to sodium colistimethate

Colistin methanesulfonate sodium (CLMS) is a widely-used antibiotic. To our best knowledge, only two cases of contact allergy to CLMS have been reported. We described a 4-year-old girl with contact dermatitis evoked by CLMS that had been applied as an ophthalmic solution. The dermatitis started after administration for 21 days. The diagnosis was confirmed by as is and constituent patch tests. We reviewed the literature in which contact allergy due to CLMS and colistin sulfate is described.