Iatrogenic contact dermatitis to proparacaine: an ophthalmic topical anesthetic.

Allergic contact dermatitis to a topical ophthalmic anesthetic, proparacaine, is reported in a patient with refractory glaucoma. His ophthalmologist routinely used a preparation containing this anesthetic, which is an uncommon sensitizer, for measuring the patient's intraocular pressure. That the patient did not apply the medication himself resulted in added difficulty in discovering the iatrogenically induced contact allergy. Avoidance of this anesthetic resulted in resolution of the patient's recurrent bouts of periocular dermatitis and conjunctivitis. The importance of testing patients suspected of having contact allergy to all medications to which they are exposed is emphasized.