Contact dermatitis in a woodworker.

Abstract

Woods are capable of causing allergic or irritant contact dermatitis which typically occurs on the exposed areas of the arms, face, and neck. The allergens found in woods include quinones, stilbenes, phenols, and terpenes. We report an 84-year-old woodworker who developed allergic contact dermatitis from Bolivian rosewood and Cocobolo wood. The patient was patch-tested using the North American Contact Dermatitis Group Standard Tray; 2,6 dimethoxyl 1,4 benzoquinone; and wood that he had been exposed to on a regular basis. Positive patch test reactions occurred to methyldibromo glutaronitrile phenoxyethanol, sodium gold thiosulfate, Bolivian rosewood, and Cocobolo wood. Allergens found in Bolivian rosewood and Cocobolo wood caused this patient's chronic dermatitis, which cleared when he avoided these woods.