Cutaneous immediate-type reactions to textiles.

The occurrence of immediate skin reactions such as urticaria and angioedema to textiles is extremely rare. The majority of the reported cases occurred after occupational exposure to chemicals, e.g. to reactive dyes or formaldehyde. More common are respiratory symptoms including asthma and rhinitis [1] and contact dermatitis [2, 3], again frequently in occupational settings. However, there may be a considerable number of unrecognized cases, on the one hand because affected patients identify the culprit by themselves and do not seek medical advice, on the other hand because the appropriate diagnostic tests are not performed or the diagnosis is missed. In this chapter, immediately occurring reactions of the skin to different agents present in or on textiles are reviewed.