Parthenium dermatitis

Abstract

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) to Parthenium hysterophorus is the most common cause of plant dermatitis in India. Parthenium dermatitis is caused by dry powder of leaves and flowers and hair-like structures (trichomes). Sesquiterpene lactones (SQLs) are the most important allergens responsible for ACD to parthenium. The different patterns include classical airborne contact dermatitis, chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD), exfoliative and widespread dermatitis. There is a definite trend towards a change from an airborne pattern to a CAD pattern in the natural history of parthenium dermatitis. In CAD, there is a reported increased sensitivity to UVB, UVA and even visible light. However, SQLs including parthenin, the major allergen in the Parthenium hysterophorus, has neither documented photoallergic nor phototoxic properties. Recently, the high photoreactivity of α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone ring toward thymidine and resulting photoadducts has been proposed as an explanation of the progressive evolution of allergic contact dermatitis toward chronic actinic dermatitis. However, more data is required to reach a conclusion on the mechanism of photosensitivity in parthenium dermatitis. Sunlight, especially UV radiation, may have a role in increasing the germination capacity and the amount of allergens in the Compositae family, especially in parthenium plants under appropriate conditions like summer and spring, which may contribute to high prevalence of parthenium dermatitis especially in northern India.

Effects and Management ofParthenium hysterophorus: A Weed of Global Significance

“…(1) The classical pattern also known as airborne contact dermatitis (ABCD) (Figures 3(a) and 3(b)) affects the face, especially eyelids and/or neck, V of chest, cubital, and popliteal fossae; (2) the chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD) (Figure 3(c)) pattern involves the exposed areas such as forehead, rim of ears, cheeks, nape of neck, dorsae of forearms, and hands as lichenified papules, plaques, or papulonodules with relative sparing of nonsun exposed areas such as eyelids, retroauricular areas and undersurface of chin and depth of the skin folds; (3) the mixed pattern (combination of classical and CAD pattern) manifests as scattered infiltrated scaly papules over the exposed parts and dermatitis over eyelids, flexures of extremities and neck; (4) the photosensitive lichenoid eruption pattern presents with pruritic, discrete, flat, violaceous papules, and plaques over sun-exposed parts such as forehead, ears, cheek, upper chest, and back, extensor aspect of forearms and dorsae of hands stimulating photosensitive lichenoid eruptions; (5) and the prurigo nodularis-like pattern presents as multiple hyperkeratotic papules and nodules over extremity with characteristic histopathologic features similar to prurigo nodularis (Figure 3(d)) [12, 22]. …”

Clinical consequences of sesquiterpene lactone mix contact allergy in Denmark

“…We noted that approximately one‐third of the respondents did not experience any changes throughout the year. The relationship between SL allergy and photosensitivity with lowered ultraviolet thresholds is recognized, even though the final link remains to be found …”

Mesleksel Havayla Taşınan (Airborne) Kontakt Dermatitler

“…Yüz tutulumu önemlidir, bazı hastalarda ekzematöz lezyonlar oluşmadan önce yüzde şişme görülebilir. Şiddetli vakalarda eritrodermi görü-lebilir (2). ABKD'in şiddetini değerlendirebilmek için klinik şiddet skoru geliştirilmiştir (7) (Tablo-II).…”

“…Bir kontakt dermatitin havayolu aracılığıyla meydana geldiğini söyleyebilmek için; toz, damlacık veya uçucu bir ajanın ortamda bulunması, hastanın öy-küsü ve takipleri, lezyonların klinik dağılımı ve epikutanöz testler ile sorumlu ajanın belirlenmesi gerekmektedir (1)(2). Kişiler Havayla Taşınan (Airborne) kontaktanlara direk/indirek temasla, sindirim yoluyla veya bitkisel kozmetikler aracılığıyla duyarlanabilirler.…”