ABSTRACT
Piperazine is an organic compound that was introduced to medicine as a solvent for uric acid and later as an anthelmintic (antinematodal agent). It produces a neuromuscular block leading to flaccid muscle paralysis in susceptible worms, which are then dislodged from the gut and expelled in feces. This chapter provides monographs of piperazine which have caused contact allergy/allergic contact dermatitis. The monographs present: identification section; contact allergy (general population, patients with dermatitis, case reports and case series); cross-reactions; patch test sensitization; photocontact allergy; and immediate contact reactions (contact urticaria). The identification section presents IUPAC names, synonyms, CAS and EC numbers, structural and chemical formulas, Merck Index monographs, and advises on patch testing. The chapter also covers an extensive amount of information to benefit dermatologists, allergists, and all others interested in drug allergy.
