Airborne contact dermatitis caused by the sarcotesta of Ginkgo biloba.

The leaves, nuts and sarcotesta of Ginkgo biloba L. (Ginkgoaceae) are used in China not only for medical purposes, but also in ‘health foods’ and cosmetics. Cases of allergic contact dermatitis caused by ginkgo leaves, fruits and nuts have been previously reported (1–3), including occupational contact dermatitis in Central Europe (1). We report a case of allergic contact dermatitis caused by G. biloba sarcotesta (Fig. 1) as a result of occupational airborne exposure.