Late asthmatic reaction in a hairdresser, due to the inhalation of ammonium persulphate salts.

Persulphate salts are among the various chemical substances that can cause occupational diseases in hairdressers. We present the case of a 21 year-old female who worked in a hairdressing salon for five and a half years. Five years prior to consultation, she presented with rhinitic symptoms and wheezing dyspnea which were related with her working environment. The routine laboratory examinations carried out on the patient were found to be normal. Among the various allergic exams performed there was an elevated total IgE. The provocation test with histamine was positive at the concentration of 10 mg/ml, demonstrating mild bronchial hyperreactivity. The test of bronchial exposure to ammonium persulphate was positive with bronchospasm 3-4 hours after this test. With a prior inhalation of betamethasone we were able to block this reaction, but with disodium cromoglycate we were able to block it only partially. We conclude that the patient presented with late onset bronchial asthma due to sensitivity to ammonium persulphate. It has to be pointed out that this patient was a rare case as generally persulphate salts choose to invade and affect the skin. The rarity of this pathology is reflected by the scarce bibliography on this subject.