ABSTRACT
I. Introduction 373
II. Glove Materials 374
III. Hand Eczema in Glove Users 375
IV. Clinical Manifestations 375
A. Immediate, Type I Allergy 375
B. Allergic Contact Dermatitis (Delayed, Type IV Allergy) 378 C. Irritant Contact Dermatitis 380
V. Allergenicity of Different Latex Gloves 381
VI. Prophylaxis 382
VII. Conclusion 383
References 383
I. INTRODUCTION
Rubber gloves have been protecting hands against different kinds of chemicals and infectious agents for over 100 years.1 The use of gloves has increased continuously, the biggest increase being in recent years because of HIV. Besides their benefits, gloves can also elicit unfavorable effects, such as eczema. The chemicals added to natural rubber latex (NRL) in the glove manufacturing process have long been known to cause allergic contact dermatitis (delayed, type IV allergy),2 but it is only in the last 20 years that it has been realized that proteins in NRL, which still are present in the finished gloves, can cause immediate, type I allergy as well as protein contact dermatitis in sensitized
persons.3-7 Apart from immunological reactions to NRL and compounds added to it, it must be emphasized that irritant dermatitis is the most common symptom among glove users.8 Since the clinical picture is not predictive of the eliciting agent, all glove users with hand eczema should be examined for delayed and immediate rubber allergy.5
