Contact Dermatitis to Desonide

There have been reports in the literature of allergic contact dermatitis to various topically used adrenal steroids.1,2Coskey3reported a case of contact dermatitis due to multiple corticosteroid creams; this patient had a positive patch test reaction to pure desonide (11β,21-dihydroxy-16α,17-[(1-methylethylidene)bis(oxy)]pregna-1,4-diene-3,20-dione) powder in water and in petrolatum. Contact allergy to components of the vehicles of topical corticosteroid preparations have also been recorded.4-6We report herein another case of allergic contact dermatitis to desonide. Report of a Case A 21-year-old woman was first seen by one of us (R.C.R.) in May 1981, for intertrigo of the groin. She was treated with 0.05% desonide cream three times a day and the intertrigo cleared after several days of treatment. Several months later, in July 1981, the patient had a recurrence of intertrigo and was again given desonide cream. During the next several days, however, the dermatitis became worse. Therapy with desonide