Alfred Balbul

Contact sensitization to pyridine derivatives

Case Report A PhD student in polymer chemistry was transferring purified THF (1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-9-fluorenone) into a flask containing 4-vinylpyridine, when she sustained a 1st degree burn from a hot syringe on the fingers and palm of her gloved left hand. She removed her glove and rinsed her hand briefly in cold water. She did not use gloves for the rest of her experiment, and her skin was exposed to trace amounts of THF, 4-vinylpyridine, tertbutyl methacrylate, toluene, acetone, hexane, methanol, NaOH and HCI. The next day, her skin was clear except for residual punctate erythema on the fingers of the left hand. 1 week later, she developed severe vesiculobullous dermatitis on the 2nd and 3rd fingers of the left hand. This cleared in 2 weeks with tap-water soaks and topical corticosteroids.