Cutaneous Lidocaine Allergy Confirmed By Patch Testing

September 2002 | Volume 1 | Issue 2 | Case Reports | 192 | Copyright © September 2002


Julie M. Kaufmann; Elizabeth K. Hale, MD; Robin Ashinoff, MD and David E. Cohen, MD

Abstract
A case is presented of a 55-year old woman who developed an eruption suggestive of contact dermatitis on repeated occasions after receiving anesthesia for dermatologic procedures. Patch testing revealed a positive reaction to lidocaine. Basic structures of anesthetics are reviewed, and the classification of immunologically-mediated allergic reactions is discussed. The presence of cutaneous lidocaine allergy has profound implications for the field of dermatology.