ABSTRACT
A practical guideline for diagnosing allergic reactions to corticosteroids is presented in ref. Desoximetasone has been included in the screening series of the North American Contact Dermatitis group since 2007, and prevalences of sensitization since then have been invariably very low, 0.1% or 0.2%. In 2 studies in groups of selected patients, the frequencies of positive patch tests were also low: 0.4% and 1.0%. In this group of 315 CS allergic patients, 18 had positive patch tests to desoximetasone 0.1% alc. A 61-year-old man with chronic venous insufficiency had a 2-month history of stasis dermatitis of the right leg, for which he was treated with 2.5% desoximetasone emulsion. The patient was diagnosed with contact allergy to desoximetasone, but the corticosteroid itself was not tested and probably not al of the ingredients of the emulsion. A 32-year-old man applied desoximetasone cream to an itchy rash on the left forearm. Patch tests were positive to desoximetasone 1% pet., desoximetasone acetate 1% pet.
