Department of Dermatology, North Carelia Central Hospital, Joensuu, Finland.
J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2010 Apr;24(4):486-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-3083.2009.03429.x. Epub 2009 Sep 30.
In February 2007, an epidemic of severe dermatitis from Chinese recliner chairs and sofas started to unfold first in Finland and a few months later in the UK. Some patients reacted in patch tests (PTs) strongly to the material of their furniture, either leather or fabric. There have been hundreds of reports of chair or sofa dermatitis from Finland and the UK, with all cases linked to the same furniture factory in China. Clinical findings in both countries were very similar and unlike any known dermatosis. Many cases have been quite severe, resembling mycosis fungoides or septic infections, requiring hospitalization. Commercial PTs did not reveal the cause but a fungicide was strongly suspected, although such use was denied by the factory. The laboratory of Malmö University Dermatology Clinic has helped in the process by making thin layer chromatograms from sofa or chair materials and test substances of suspected chemicals. Finally, sachets marked with 'mouldproof agent' were found in varying numbers and distribution in the sofas. These contained dimethyl fumarate (DMF) which proved in skin tests to cause strong positive reactions with down to 0.01 dilution. Reports from other countries (Belgium, France, Ireland, Sweden and Spain) have since appeared, and the EU has banned the use of DMF in consumer products.
2007 年 2 月，一种源于中国躺椅和沙发的严重皮炎传染病开始在芬兰爆发，并于数月后在英国蔓延。一些患者在斑贴试验（PT）中对其家具（皮革或织物）材料呈现强烈反应。芬兰和英国已报告了数百起因椅子或沙发引发的皮炎病例，所有病例都与中国同一家具厂有关。两国的临床发现非常相似，与任何已知的皮肤病都不同。许多病例相当严重，类似于蕈样真菌病或败血症感染，需要住院治疗。商业斑贴试验并未揭示病因，但强烈怀疑是杀菌剂，尽管工厂否认使用了杀菌剂。马尔默大学皮肤科诊所的实验室通过从沙发或椅子材料和疑似化学物质的测试物质中制作薄层色谱图，提供了帮助。最后，在沙发中发现了数量和分布不同的标有“防霉剂”的香包。这些香包中含有富马酸二甲酯（DMF），经皮肤试验证实，即使稀释至 0.01 也会引发强烈阳性反应。此后，其他国家（比利时、法国、爱尔兰、瑞典和西班牙）也报告了病例，欧盟已禁止在消费品中使用 DMF。
