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- Title
Occupational allergic contact dermatitis from lichens in present-day Finland.
- Authors
Aalto-Korte, Kristiina; Lauerma, Antti; Alanko, Kristiina
- Abstract
Lichens are abundant in forests, living on trees, soil, stones and rocks. They contain usnic acid and other lichen acids that are contact allergens. Lichens and liverworts cause woodcutter's dermatitis, eczema that appears in the forest on the bare skin areas, especially in cold and wet weather. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis from lichens occurs in forestry and horticultural workers and in lichen pickers. Lichens can cause immediate allergy, contact urticaria, rhinitis and asthma and probably also photoallergic contact dermatitis. Lichens are used for the manufacture of oak moss absolute, a fragrance constituent. Oak moss absolute contains lichen acids and is one of the commonest contact allergens. Lichen acid allergy develops either from contact with lichens or from fragrances. We describe 4 cases of occupational allergic contact dermatitis from lichens during the past decade: 2 were farmers and 2 gardeners. 3 of them had allergic reactions to fragrance mix and oak moss absolute. Lichen contact allergy is an old, partly forgotten, syndrome that should be remembered for symptoms in contact with barked wood or wood dust.
- Subjects
FINLAND; CONTACT dermatitis; SKIN inflammation; LICHENS; ALLERGIES; ALLERGENS
- Publication
Contact Dermatitis (01051873), 2005, Vol 52, Issue 1, p36
- ISSN
0105-1873
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.0105-1873.2005.00495.x