Textile allergic contact dermatitis: current status

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a thorough review of Pubmed search results for "textile percutaneous penetration" and "textile absorption". We also determined relevant articles that discussed percutaneous penetration of textiles into the skin and their associated disease states. LIMITATIONS: Due to limitations in current and past publications, we are uncertain of the extent of the clinical problem; however, for patients allergic to textile dye, it is of practical importance, both clinically and in their everyday life. CONCLUSIONS: There are many challenges to correctly identifying the offending textile products in a patient with suspected textile dye dermatitis. Different populations may exhibit varying degrees of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), but more studies must be done to draw further conclusions. This is further complicated when counseling the patient on how to avoid the textile products most likely to cause a recurrence of ACD skin lesions.