An outbreak of furniture dermatitis in the U.K.

Conflicts of interest: none declared. Sir, Contact dermatitis to articles of furniture is rarely reported,1 2–3 despite individual components of the furniture frequently containing potential allergens such as chromate in leather furnishings.1 Presumably this is due to a degree of protection afforded by clothing covering the skin and the ‘relatively’ short periods of time that people spend in direct contact with the furniture. We have recently seen 20 patients presenting locally to our departments with acute onset of dermatitis affecting the trunk, limbs, buttocks and face, often in unusual patterns (see Figs 1 and 2), suggestive of contact dermatitis. In several patients the dermatitis was severe, nonresponsive to potent topical steroids and required short courses of oral corticosteroids to effect resolution. A few have required hospitalization. In the majority of cases, the dermatitis started on the buttocks, thighs and lower back, with some patients who had used recliners also developing facial eruptions. All patients had purchased new leather furniture 3 weeks to 9 months prior to the onset of the rash. A few patients gave a history of improvement when away from the furniture (for example, on holiday) with rapid return after contact was recommenced; some patients suspected the new furniture as the cause of their rash. Several patients were able to explain the unusual patterns of their dermatitis by the style of furniture that they had bought and the way they were positioned on the furniture (with accentuation on one buttock, often from laying in a position to watch television). In the majority of cases the rash was limited to those areas that would be in contact with the furniture. However, the majority of patients reported that they had only sat on the furniture clothed; hence the contact was not direct. Interestingly, in our experience, in only a minority of cases has more than one family member been affected. We have patch tested one individual to an extended European standard series, textile dyes and resins series, footwear series and components of the sofa. The only relevant positive reaction was a + on D4 to a swatch of the leather covering from the sofa. We are aware of approximately 15 patients who have been tested nationally with no single allergen yet identified.