CONTACT URTICARIA FROM A MOUTHWASH

A 30·year-old woman with seasonal rhinitis and asthma developed swelling oftbe lips and tongue after using a mouthwash containing cinnamic aldehyde. She and 10 enntrol patients developed contact urticaria when the mouthwash was applied to the antecubital fossae. Cinnamic aldehyde was shown to be the causative agent. The incidence of adverse reactions in 16 other controls was shown to depend on site of application, vehicle, concentration and time of n~ading. None of the control subjects reacted to methyl or a-amyl cinnamic aldehyde, but I had a weak positive response to cinnamic alcohol and 5 had positive responses to cinnamic acid. All subjecL'; complained of St:vere stinging and burning of the mouth after usill8 the mouthwash as directed on the label. Mathia!., C.G.T. et al.: Archives of DermatolOiJ 11 6, 740an 19S0)

6 INPt-iARMA 16feb 1980 0156-2703/ 80/0216-0006 $00.50/0 CADIS f'nIsa