thiourea and Dermatitis--Occupational

Thiourea compounds are mainly used as accelerators in the rubber industry, but also in other industries, e.g., as antioxidants in the graphics industry. Thiourea compounds may provoke allergic contact dermatitis, although the number of reported cases is relatively low. During 1985-1991, we had 5 patients with allergic patch test reactions caused by thiourea compounds. 1 of our patients had to use a knee brace after an occupational accident. He developed allergic contact dermatitis caused by the knee brace, probably because he had become sensitized to diethylthiourea. 2 patients were probably sensitized by diphenylthiourea in neoprene gloves. A florist had an allergic patch test reaction to diphenylthiourea and might have been sensitized by fungicides or pesticides, which break down into thioureas. It is often difficult, however, to detect the source of thiourea compound sensitization. If the patient has contact dermatitis and has been exposed to products that may contain thiourea compounds (or compounds that break down into thiourea compounds), such as rubber, PVC plastic or adhesive, diazo paper, paints or glue remover, anticorrosive agents, fungicides or pesticides, patch testing with a series of thiourea compounds needs to be performed. If patch testing with thiourea compounds is not performed, allergic contact dermatitis caused by thiourea compounds is not likely to be diagnosed.

Topics: Adult; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact; Dermatitis, Occupational; Female; Humans; Male; Patch Tests; Thiourea

Topics: Adult; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact; Dermatitis, Occupational; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Hand Dermatoses; Humans; Jewelry; Patch Tests; Thiourea

Topics: Adult; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact; Dermatitis, Occupational; Gloves, Protective; Humans; Male; Occupational Exposure; Shoes; Thiourea; Young Adult

Topics: Adult; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact; Dermatitis, Occupational; Female; Hand Dermatoses; Humans; Neoprene; Patch Tests; Thiourea; Young Adult

About 21% of the patients with occupational contact dermatitis registered in the Information Network of Departments of Dermatology (IVDK) in the years 1995-2001 were patch tested due to suspected rubber glove allergy. We analysed reaction frequencies to thiurams, dithiocarbamates, mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) and its derivatives, thioureas, and 1,3-diphenylguanidine (1,3-DPG). Thiurams were by far the most frequent rubber allergens in these patients (16.2% positive reactions, age- and sex-standardized), and the reaction frequency showed a decline from 20.9% in 1997 to 12.8% in 2000. However, this trend was not statistically significant, and was followed by an increase to 16.5% in 2001. All other rubber allergens showed no time trend at all. Although, according to manufacturers' information, the use of dithiocarbamates and MBT derivatives in rubber glove production increased in recent years, these allergens elicited positive reactions in only about 3% of the patients tested, and showed no increasing trend. Thioureas and 1,3-DPG are not widely used in rubber glove production, and play only a minor role in rubber glove contact allergy. Most of the positive reactions to 1,3-DPG are probably false-positive, irritant reactions.

Topics: Adult; Allergens; Benzothiazoles; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact; Dermatitis, Occupational; Female; Germany; Gloves, Protective; Hand Dermatoses; Humans; Latex Hypersensitivity; Male; Thiazoles; Thiocarbamates; Thiourea; Thiram

Topics: Allergens; Butylated Hydroxytoluene; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact; Dermatitis, Occupational; Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Male; Microcomputers; Middle Aged; Patch Tests; Thiourea; Thumb

Topics: Adult; Allergens; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact; Dermatitis, Occupational; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Hand Dermatoses; Humans; Patch Tests; Thiourea

Topics: Adult; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact; Dermatitis, Occupational; Diazonium Compounds; Humans; Indicators and Reagents; Male; Paper; Printing; Thiourea

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Air Pollutants; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact; Dermatitis, Occupational; Female; Humans; Male; Occupational Exposure; Skin Tests; Thiourea

Topics: Adult; Copying Processes; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact; Dermatitis, Occupational; Diazonium Compounds; Facial Dermatoses; Hand Dermatoses; Humans; Male; Paper; Thiourea

11 cases of contact dermatitis from Vulkan heat retainers are reported. The skin eruptions started on days 1-11 after the 1st day of exposure. The clinical picture varied from eczema through urticaria to purpura. In some cases, the symptoms were severe. Patch testing was performed in 10 individuals and all reacted positively to the heat retainer and/or the rubber glue used in the heat retainer. A series of rubber chemicals was patch tested in 7 patients and all showed positive reactions to diphenylthiourea (DPTU), and all but one to ethylene thiourea (ETU). TLC examination revealed a spot with the same RF-value as DPTU in extracts of the adhesive, but no spot corresponding to ETU. There were no indications of impurities in the test preparations of DPTU and ETU. By HPLC, the content of DPTU in the adhesive was determined as 0.6% w/w.

Topics: Adhesives; Adult; Aged; Dermatitis, Occupational; Female; Hot Temperature; Humans; Hypersensitivity, Delayed; Male; Middle Aged; Patch Tests; Rubber; Thiourea

A cleaning woman in a restaurant became sensitized to thiourea in a silver polish. The dermatitis persisted for several months and occasionally flared up after exposure to sunlight, even after she no longer used the product. Patch testing and photopatch testing showed that she had both contact and photocontact allergy.

Topics: Administration, Topical; Adult; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Dermatitis, Contact; Dermatitis, Occupational; Female; Glucocorticoids; Humans; Patch Tests; Photosensitivity Disorders; Thiourea; Time Factors

Thiourea and its derivatives have been widely used in industry since the beginning of this century, but it was only in the late 1960s that reports of cases of contact dermatitis to these compounds began to appear in the literature. This literature is reviewed. We have observed eight cases of diphenylthiourea sensitivity in patients sensitive to adhesive tape. Four cases are presented of sensitivity to thiourea compounds in diazo-sensitized paper. Three of these patients were contact allergic to dimethylthiourea, and the other was contact and photocontact allergic to thiourea. These skin problems were mainly induced by airborne contact.

Topics: Adult; Dermatitis, Occupational; Female; Humans; Male; Photosensitivity Disorders; Thiourea

Topics: Adult; Biphenyl Compounds; Dermatitis, Occupational; Humans; Male; Neoprene; Protective Clothing; Thiourea

Topics: Animals; Chemical Industry; Dermatitis, Contact; Dermatitis, Occupational; Guinea Pigs; Humans; Immunity; Rats; Thiocyanates; Thiourea

A 35-year-old machinist developed hand eczema from contact allergy to dibutylthiourea, a compound found in a paint and glue remover. Light and electron microscopy of his positive patch test was consistent with allergic contact dermatitis, showing Langerhans cell-mononuclear cell contacts in the epidermis.

Topics: Adult; Biopsy; Dermatitis, Occupational; Hand Dermatoses; Humans; Male; Microscopy, Electron; Patch Tests; Skin; Skin Tests; Thiourea

Topics: Adult; Copying Processes; Dermatitis, Contact; Dermatitis, Occupational; Humans; Male; Thiourea

Topics: Adult; Dermatitis, Contact; Dermatitis, Occupational; Dimaprit; Humans; Isothiuronium; Male; Patch Tests; Thiourea

Topics: Dermatitis, Contact; Dermatitis, Occupational; Detergents; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Patch Tests; Thiourea

Topics: Dermatitis, Contact; Dermatitis, Occupational; Dimaprit; Humans; Isothiuronium; Male; Middle Aged; Thiourea

Topics: Adult; Dermatitis, Occupational; Diving; Humans; Rubber; Thiourea

Topics: Animals; Dermatitis, Contact; Dermatitis, Occupational; Dimaprit; Guinea Pigs; Humans; Isothiuronium; Patch Tests; Photography; Thiourea

Topics: Adult; Azo Compounds; Dermatitis, Occupational; Hand Dermatoses; Humans; Male; Paper; Printing; Thiourea

Our patient was a 24-year-old female textile cutter who had a conjunctivitis and an erythematous itching dermatitis of the eyelids, nasal mucous membranes, and the corners of the mouth. The patch tests with the standard series and a pharmaceutical test battery were negative. Further epicutaneous testing revealed a strong positive reaction to the textile cutting patterns she handled, which were duplicated by diazo processing. Specifically, the contact dermatitis reaction was caused by dimethylthiourea, an additive in diazo-sensitized paper.

Topics: Adult; Conjunctivitis; Dermatitis, Contact; Dermatitis, Occupational; Female; Humans; Textile Industry; Thiourea

Topics: Automobiles; Dermatitis, Occupational; Humans; Male; Rubber; Skin Tests; Thiourea

Topics: Adult; Chemical Industry; Dermatitis, Occupational; Environmental Exposure; Female; Humans; Male; Thiourea; USSR

Topics: Adult; Cartilage; Dermatitis, Occupational; Ear Diseases; Ear, External; Humans; Male; Rubber; Thiourea