Occupational asthma due to benzyl benzoate exposure

Literature on occupational asthma due to benzyl benzoate is scarce. We evaluated a 50-year-old Chinese male for asthma, with onset 1 month after a new assignment of slide cleaning at the laboratory where he had been working for the past 29 years. His symptoms began 15 minutes after slide cleaning, improving when he was away from work. Spirometry was normal, while a methacholine challenge test showed bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Serial peak expiratory flow measurements showed increased peak flow variability during times of slide cleaning, demonstrating the relationship of slide cleaning with decreased peak flow. Immersion oil containing benzyl benzoate was used in the preparation of the slides. Benzyl benzoate has been shown to be a respiratory irritant but not a sensitizer, with limited evidence on its role in asthma. Our case adds to the currently limited literature on the role of benzyl benzoate in occupational asthma.