Primary irritant dermatitis from topical clioquinol.

During the 2-year period 1976--1977, seven patients were studied with primary irritant dermatitis from topical preparations containing clioquinol. During the same period contact hypersensitivity to the compound was recorded in 35 eczema patients. Six of the seven patients with clioquinol irritancy had used creams containing 3% large crystal clioquinol and fluorinated steroids. One patient had used 6% small crystal clioquinol cream. Challenge tests with 3% small crystal and large crystal clioquinol creams showed that crystal size did not affect the appearance of irritant dermatitis.