Use of cosmetics by Danish women
acrylic compound such as trimethyl propane trimethacrylate (TPC). This is of considerable significance since TPC may cause allergic contact dermatitis in ultraviolet cured printing inks (Nethercott 1978). Finally, Chung & Giles (1977) showed that guinea pigs could be strongly sensitized to methyl-, ethyland n-butyl methacrylate in ethanol or olive oil by the topical route, or in saline by the intradermal route. For elicitation of skin reactions, topical challenge with the compounds in olive oil or intradermal challenge with saline as the solvent was necessary. All sensitized animals responded strongly not only to the inducting methacrylate but also to the other methacrylates, showing that mutual cross-sensitivity had occurred. They concluded by stating that, "Since methyl methacrylate has been reported to be a potent sensitizer in humans, the guinea pig model described here may be useful for screening products before marketing."
Allergic contact dermatitis to sculptured nails.
Sculptured artificial nails are a popular method of improving the cosmetic appearance of natural nails. They are made by mixing a liquid monomer with a powder polymer and then molding this acrylic compound onto the natural nail. We have recently seen a patient with allergic contact dermatitis to ethyl methacrylate, the liquid monomer used in these artificial fingernails. The purpose of this article is to report a case in which ethyl methacrylate was the sensitizer in the nail, and to demonstrate cross-sensitivity to methyl and N-butyl methacrylate. Report of a Case A 50-year-old woman used artificial fingernails for 1 1/2 years because of nail fragility. This process involved the mixing of ethyl methacrylate monomer with acrylic polymers. For several months prior to being seen in the clinic, a paronychial and eyelid dermatitis (Figure) occurred two days after each new application of the nails. Using the aluminum patch test technique, the
THE TISSUE REACTION INDUCED IN RATS AND GUINEA-PIGS BY POLYMETHYLMETHACRYLATE (ACRYLIC) AND STAINLESS STEEL (18/8/MO).
IT is accepted that when a relatively inert foreign material is implanted as a film, foil or disc it becomes enclosed in a fibrous tissue capsule. In rats, mice and hamsters tumours have been shown to develop in the fibrous tissue capsules surrounding subcutaneously implanted foils of various plastics and metals. (Turner, 1941; Oppenheimer, Oppenheimer and Stout, 1948, 1952; Oppenheimer, Danishefsky, Stout and Eirich, 1955; Oppenheimer, Danishefsky and Stout, 1956; Nothdurft, 1955; Bering and Handler, 1957). Although some workers have suggested that the chemical composition of the foreign material is of importance in the induction of these tumours (Oppenheimer et al., 1955), it is now generally accepted that the form of the implant and the fibrous tissue capsule which surrounds it are the principal factors influencing the production of " foreignbody" tumours (Oppenheimer, Stout, Willhite and Danishefsky, 1958; Oppenheimer, Stout, Danishefsky and Willhite, 1959; Nothdurft, 1960). After prolonged implantation the thickness of the fibrous tissue capsule is said to decrease in guinea-pigs (Coronel and Kerneis, 1948; Virenque, Leroux, Delaunay, Lasfarques, Coronel and Kerneis, 1947) and increase in rats (Oppenheimer et al., 1958). It is possible, therefore, that a very different tissue reaction would occur when discs of the same material were implanted in these two rodents. The experiments described in this paper were designed to investigate in guineapigs and rats the effect of intramuscular implantation of polymethylmethacrylate discs and stainless steel discs. The influence of size of implant and duration of implantation on this reaction were also considered.