Allergic contact dermatitis to basic red 46 occurring in an HIV-positive patient

Abstract

A 41-year-old HIV-positive man presented with a 2-month history of a generalized pruritic rash, which had started on his feet. Patch testing made a diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis to the textile dye basic red 46, likely to have been present in his dark-blue-coloured socks. Complete resolution of his symptoms occurred with avoidance of these socks. The patient had developed allergic contact dermatitis with a low CD4 T lymphocyte count of 361 cells/μl (normal range 410-1545 cells/μl). This raised the question of the level of CD4 count necessary for an individual to develop allergic contact dermatitis to an allergen, given its role in delayed hypersensitivity. It was concluded that a l..