A Case of Pigmented Contact Dermatitis Caused by Cinnamic Aldehydes / 대한피부과학회지

Pigmented contact dermatitis denotes a kind of secondary hyperpigmentation resulting from recurrent contact dermatitis of low degree. Cinnamic aldehyde is a component of cinnamon,which is widely used in foods and fragrances. A 21 year-old girl presented with a well-defined dark brownish patch on right side of chest for 4 years. Histopathologic examination revealed epidermal spongiosis, hypermelanosis of basal layer, scattered melanophages and mild perivascular inflammatory cell infiltration in the upper dermis Patch test findings were positive to fragrance mix, cinnamic aldehyde and body shampoo which was used by the patient. Peroral challenge with cinnamon tea resulted in flare-up of the positive patch-test sites and the skin lesion.