Allergic reactions to topical desoxymethasone and oral triamcinolone

Systemic allergic dermatitis (systemic contact dermatitis) from pharmaceutical drugs: A review

The literature on systemic allergic dermatitis (SAD; also known as systemic contact dermatitis) is reviewed. Both topical drugs (from absorption through mucosae or skin) and systemic drugs (oral, parenteral, rectal) may be responsible for the disorder. The topical route appears to be rare with 41 culprit topical drugs found to cause SAD in 95 patients. Most reactions are caused by budesonide (especially from inhalation), bufexamac, and dibucaine. SAD from systemic drugs is infrequent with 95 culprit drugs found to cause SAD in 240 patients. The drugs most frequently implicated are mitomycin C, methylprednisolone (salt, ester), and hydrocortisone (salt). The largest group of culprit drugs consisted of corticosteroids (19%), being responsible for >30% of the reactions, of which nearly 40% were not caused by therapeutic drugs, but by drug provocation tests. The most frequent manifestations of SAD from drugs are eczematous eruptions (scattered, widespread, generalized, worsening, reactivation), maculopapular eruptions, symmetrical drug-related intertriginous and flexural exanthema (SDRIFE [baboon syndrome]) and widespread erythema or erythroderma. Therapeutic systemic drugs hardly ever cause reactivation of previously positive patch tests and infrequently of previous allergic contact dermatitis. The pathophysiology of SAD has received very little attention. Explanations for the rarity of SAD are suggested.

Allergic cutaneous reactions to systemic corticosteroids

Contact allergic reactions to topical corticosteroids are common. Cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions to systemically administered corticosteroids might occur though less frequently. The purpose of this literature review is to examine reported cases of cutaneous reactions to systemically administered corticosteroids. The data are presented considering route of administration, type of drug, type of reaction, and testing results. Corticosteroid classifications, cross-reactions, and allergy testing methods are also discussed.

Cross-reactions to desoximetasone and mometasone furoate in a patient with multiple topical corticosteroid allergies

A 60-year-old man developed a bullous contact dermatitis after topical corticosteroid treatment of dermatitis on his lower leg. Subsequent patch testing showed cross-reactions to numerous group B and group D corticosteroids as well as cross-reactions to group C desoximetasone and group D1 mometasone furoate. His patch-test result was negative for the group A corticosteroids hydrocortisone and tixocortol pivalate. We discuss the uncommon finding of cross-reactions to desoximetasone and mometasone furoate.

Detection of contact hypersensitivity to corticosteroids in allergic contact dermatitis patients who do not respond to topical corticosteroids

The delayed hypersensitivity development against topical corticosteroids which are used in allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) treatment is an important clinical problem. In our study, 41 ACD patients who did not show any response to topical corticosteroid treatment were patch tested with corticosteroid series and the commercial preparations of corticosteroids and their vehicles. In corticosteroid series, there were budesonide, bethametasone-17-valerate, triamcinolone acetonide, tixocortol pivalate, alclomethasone-17-21-dipropionate, clobetasole-17-propionate, dexamethasone-21-phosphate disodium and hydrocortisone-17-butyrate. We detected positive reaction to corticosteroids in 9 of our cases (22%) (5 single and 4 multiple). The sensitivity was mostly produced by tixocortol pivalate (6 patients). This was followed by triamcinolone acetonide (2 patients) budesonide (2 patients), alclomethasone dipropionate (2 patients), dexamethasone 21 phosphate disodium (2 patients) and betamethasone-17-valerate (1 patient). As a result, it should not be forgotten that the corticosteroids used to treat ACD patients may cause ACD themselves. In ACD patients who did not respond to corticosteroid treatment, routinely applying patch test with corticosteroids should be helpful in directing the treatment.

Allergic-type reactions to corticosteroids

OBJECTIVE

To review reported cases of suspected allergic reactions to various corticosteroids.

DATA SOURCES

A MEDLINE search (January 1966-December 1997) was performed to obtain case reports and review articles on allergic-type reactions to corticosteroids. Further references were obtained from these publications.

STUDY SELECTION

Reports involving allergic or allergic-type reactions to systemic administration of corticosteroids were chosen for this review. An allergic-type reaction was defined as any reaction after administration of the drug that involved the appearance of adverse symptoms that are characteristic of unwanted immune responses. These symptoms include rash, sneezing, dyspnea, edema, bronchospasm, or death. Articles were excluded from the evaluation if they described reactions to topical, intraarticular, or ophthalmic corticosteroid administration.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Corticosteroids are medications that are often used to treat allergic reactions. However, it appears that patients can also have allergic-type reactions to these agents. The severity of the reaction can vary from a rash to anaphylaxis or death. Both immediate and delayed reactions can occur. Allergic-type reactions are reported to occur more frequently in asthmatic and renal transplant patients than other patient populations. However, it is questionable whether all of these are true allergic responses, as there is conflicting evidence regarding the mechanism of the reaction. The most commonly implicated corticosteroids are methylprednisolone and hydrocortisone, but reactions have also occurred with others. Intradermal skin testing can help determine cross-sensitivity, although its value has not been conclusively demonstrated.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians should be aware that allergic reactions to corticosteroids are possible. Worsening of symptoms may not always mean treatment failure, but may indicate an allergic reaction. High doses of corticosteroids (> or = 500 mg) should be given over 30-60 minutes, and patients should be observed after administration for at least the same time period. Asthmatics, renal transplant patients, and hemodynamically unstable patients may be at higher risk for adverse events. If a patient is found to be allergic to one corticosteroid, intradermal skin testing may help identify another corticosteroid that can be tolerated.

Delayed systemic allergic reactions to corticosteroids

From the limited number of reports in the literature, it would appear that various types of delayed reactions from systemically, intralesionally, and intra-articularly administered corticosteroids are rare, particularly given their widespread use. The purpose of this literature review is to summarize in table form the reported cases of generalized delayed systemic corticosteroid reactions with respect to patient presentation, methods of evaluation, and conclusions reached. In total, 24 cases of generalized delayed systemic corticosteroid reactions have been reported in the literature. Clinical presentation (timing and cutaneous manifestations) as well as evaluation of these patients has been variable; reactions reported include eczematous or exanthematous eruptions, with or without bullae or purpura. In 16 cases, the diagnoses have been supported by positive patch or intradermal testing. Overall, it appears that generalized delayed systemic reactions to corticosteroids show considerable variability and are infrequently reported. Patch and intradermal tests with standardized allergens appear to be the most useful tests currently available to support this clinical diagnosis.

Hypersensitivity to topical corticosteroids

Contact hypersensitivity from topical corticosteroids is becoming increasingly recognized; it is present in 2-5% of the patients attending contact dermatitis clinics. The use of a corticosteroid series containing tixocortal pivalate 1% (petrolatum), to detect hypersensitivity to hydrocortisone, and other steroids 1% (ethanol), depending on local corticosteroid usage, detects the majority of cases of corticosteroid hypersensitivity. In selected cases, the use of intradermal tests further improves the diagnosis of corticosteroid hypersensitivity. Corticosteroid hypersensitivity occurs most frequently among patients with stasis dermatitis. However, corticosteroid hypersensitivity is also common in other types of dermatitis, occurring as frequently as hypersensitivity to several allergens (e.g. wool alcohols and colophony) in the European standard battery. Although hypersensitivity has mainly been reported with corticosteroids applied to the skin, reactions may also occur on mucosal surfaces, following systemic administration and with sex steroids.

Allergy to systemic and intralesional corticosteroids

In this study, allergic reactions to systemic or intralesional corticosteroids were characterized, and skin tests utilized in the diagnosis of corticosteroid allergy. Five patients who had developed a rash when treated with systemic or intralesional hydrocortisone, methylprednisolone, prednisolone or betamethasone, were challenged with oral or intra-articular corticosteroid preparations, and skin tested. Upon provocation the patients reacted with diffuse erythema principally on the trunk or on the face. The erythema appeared within a period ranging from a few hours to 24 h and faded in 1-3 days. On patch testing, one patient reacted to prednisolone and methylprednisolone, which induced a positive response upon provocation, and two patients were positive to Pivalone. Patients who were sensitive to hydrocortisone or methylprednisolone, as judged by anamnestic data and provocations, reacted to these corticosteroids in the intradermal tests. Allergy to betamethasone could not be verified by intradermal or patch tests. A combination of intradermal and patch tests is recommended when allergy to systemic or intralesional corticosteroids is suspected. If these skin tests remain negative, provocation is the method of choice.

Systemic hydrocortisone/cortisol induces allergic skin reactions in presensitized subjects

To determine whether systemic hydrocortisone can elicit allergic skin reactions in patients with contact hypersensitivity to hydrocortisone, we studied four patients with contact hypersensitivity to hydrocortisone and hydrocortisone-17-butyrate and two patients with contact hypersensitivity to hydrocortisone-17-butyrate but not to hydrocortisone. Open oral provocation with 100 or 250 mg hydrocortisone in patients with hydrocortisone contact hypersensitivity elicited cutaneous reactions at sites of previous allergic dermatitis caused by hydrocortisone in two patients and at sites of earlier allergic patch test reactions caused by hydrocortisone in the other two patients. Provocations in two patients with contact hypersensitivity to hydrocortisone-17-butyrate but not to hydrocortisone remained negative. To determine whether the adrenal cortical hormone cortisol, which is identical to hydrocortisone, could induce similar skin reactions, one patient with hydrocortisone contact hypersensitivity underwent adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation tests; as a control, one hydrocortisone-sensitive patient underwent analogous provocations with placebo. After an 8-hour infusion with the adrenocorticotropic hormone analog tetracosactide, a similar skin reaction to that seen with oral hydrocortisone was observed, whereas provocations with placebo remained negative. We conclude that both oral hydrocortisone and intrinsic cortisol are able to induce allergic skin reactions in presensitized subjects.