Niquel y Pole Dancing

Published in Dermatology

Journal Scan / Case Study · March 04, 2020

Old Contact Allergens and New Dermatitis

Contact Dermatitis

TAKE-HOME MESSAGE

• The authors report a case of a 35-year-old woman with pruritic rash involving the abdomen, inner arms, legs, and feet. Upon patch testing, she was found to be allergic only to nickel. Dimethylglyoxime testing of the poles at her gym where she practiced pole dancing as a hobby was positive.

• The patient's rash improved when her gym replaced the poles; however, she had a mild recurrence if her practice lasted longer than usual, suggesting exposure of nickel with prolonged friction.

– Caitlyn T. Reed, MD

Written by

 

 

Stephen E Helms MD

Articles like this reinforce my love for the oh-so-exciting world of contact dermatitis. Of course, this does not diminish the challenges! I am not sure even Sir Author Conan Doyle would have identified the source of this allergen, although I'm certain he would have been able to weave it nicely into one of his stories! The presentation of this rash on the forearms, legs, and feet combined with the patient's history of working in a nursing home and going to "work out" in a gym would have caused me to think of a number of possible allergens. Nickel, however, would not be one of them. By the time we see patients like this, they have often been treated with topical and systemic steroids, which result in short-lived improvement. They have also commonly changed their detergent, soaps/cleansers, and made a host of other adjustments. I might have suspected fragrance, preservative, rosin, or surfactant allergy. A positive patch test for nickel comes to the rescue, leading to the development of a focused history, a consideration of the distribution of involved skin, and the realization of the cause: repeated contact with the "guilty" dance pole. Case solved, Mr. Sherlock Holmes!

Abstract

We report a case of allergic contact dermatitis caused by nickel in a woman who do[es] pole dancing as a hobbie.

Contact Dermatitis

Old Contact Allergens and New Dermatitis — Pole Dancing Dermatitis

Contact Derm 2020 Feb 14;[EPub Ahead of Print], A Gutiérrez González, LL Vecillas, EA Montenegro, J López Gutiérrez, M Tawfiq, F Rodríguez Fernández 

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Benjamin Hidalgo-Matlock
Skin Care Physicians of Costa Rica

Clinica Victoria en San Pedro: 4000-1054
Momentum Escazu: 2101-9574

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