Prevalence of gold contact hypersensitivity in the West of Scotland

• Published in: Contact dermatitis Vol. 36; no. 6; pp. 302 - 304
• Main Authors: Fleming, Colin, Forsyth, Angela, Mackie, Rona
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.06.1997; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; allergic contact dermatitis; Allergic diseases; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; clinical relevance; Dermatitis, Contact - epidemiology; Dermatitis, Contact - etiology; Dermatitis, Contact - physiopathology; Eczema - chemically induced; Eczema - pathology; Eczema - physiopathology; Female; gold sodium thiosulfate; Gold Sodium Thiosulfate - adverse effects; Humans; Immunopathology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; patch testing; Patch Tests; Prevalence; Scotland - epidemiology; Skin allergic diseases. Stinging insect allergies; Surveys and Questionnaires; United Kingdom; Scotland; Great Britain; Europe; Human; Immunopathology; Allergy; Gold Sodium Thiosulfates; Gold; Skin disease; Prevalence; Contact dermatitis; Toxicity; Noble metal; Epidemiology
• ISSN: 0105-1873; 1600-0536
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0536.1997.tb00005.x

373 patients unending for routine patch testing were tested with 0.5% gold sodium thiosulfate (GST), 8(2.1%) patients had a positive patch test, and a further 4 (1.0%) patient reactions which were interpreted as irritant. 2 out of 8 patients with a positive patch test to GST suspected gold allergy prior to testing, and both of these patients reported that their eczema resolved if they avoided gold jewellery. This is the lowest prevalence of hypersensitivity to GST reported and suggests that gold contact allergy may not he as widespread as has been recently proposed.