RESEARCH

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AUTHORS	Koch P. Bahmer FA.
INSTITUTION	Hautklinik der Universitat des Saarlandes, Homburg/Saar, Germany
TITLE	Oral lichenoid lesions, mercury hypersensitivity and combined hypersensitivity to mercury and other metals: histologically-proven reproduction of the reaction by patch testing with metal salts.
SOURCE	Contact Dermatitis. 33(5):323-8, 1995 Nov.
COUNTRY OF PUBLICATION	Denmark
ABSTRACT	We report 11 patients seen between 1991 and 1994 with oral lichenoid lesions (OLL). In 10 cases, there was contact wtih dental amalgam fillings, and in patient no. 10 with both amalgam restorations and a gold crown. The last patient had, in addition to her OLL, lichen planus of the skin and genital mucosa. In 5 cases, combined sensitization to mercury and other metal salts, particularly gold sodium thiosulfate (GST) and palladium chloride (PDC), was observed. In 10 patients, the lesions considerably improved or totally cleared within 1 to 9 months of replacement of restoration materials. Histological examination of biopsies from the test sites of amalgam, mercuric chloride, GST and PDC, taken 10 or 17 days after application of patch tests, showed lichenoid changes in 7 patients with at least 1 of the allergens. As at least 2 patients had inflammatory lesions of the oral mucosa related to both amalgam and gold restorations, combined sensitization to inorganic and organic mercury derivatives, GST and, in 1 case, PDC, a "dental restoration metal intolerance syndrome" is proposed.
PUBLICATION TYPE	Journal Article.
LANGUAGE	English.