ABSTRACT
Azidamfenicol is an amphenicol antibiotic, which has a profile similar to chloramphenicol. In 1967, in Norway, a steroid-antibiotic combination cream was put on the market containing dexamethasone 0.01% and azidamphenicol 1.5%. In a hospital in Oslo, from 1968 to 1975, in 6 patients, contact allergy to the topical pharmaceutical demonstrated. All had positive patch tests to the cream and a negative reaction to the cream base. Two patients had positive patch tests to azidamphenicol 2% (vehicle not mentioned, probably petrolatum). However, one of the negatives was later retested and now had positive patch tests to azidamphenicol 2% (+) and 5% (++). Many cases of azidamphenicol contact allergy have passed undiagnosed due to a false-negative reactions to the cream from the presence of dexamethasone as ingredient. Most patients with contact allergy to azidamphenicol will cross-react to chloramphenicol.
