Contact and photocontact allergy to musk ambrette.

Musk ambrette, a contact and photocontact allergen, is a synthetic fragrance present in aftershave lotions and many toiletries. Thirty-four patients with contact and photocontact allergy to musk ambrette were studied. All had a facial eczema. Four distinctive clinical pictures were seen. These were plaques of eczema, jawline (mandibular) dermatitis, acute contact dermatitis and chronic actinic dermatitis. Twenty-six patients were light sensitive by history and 10 were diagnosed by clinical criteria as having chronic actinic dermatitis. Patch and photopatch testing to musk ambrette showed that seven patients had pure photocontact dermatitis to musk ambrette. Eight patients had contact dermatitis to musk ambrette but this was exacerbated by irradiation. Cross reaction with moskene occurred. Scrupulous avoidance of musk ambrette has resulted in clinical resolution in most patients.