Contact and photocontact sensitivity problems associated with thiourea and its derivatives: a review of the literature and case reports.

Thiourea and its derivatives have been widely used in industry since the beginning of this century, but it was only in the late 1960s that reports of cases of contact dermatitis to these compounds began to appear in the literature. This literature is reviewed. We have observed eight cases of diphenylthiourea sensitivity in patients sensitive to adhesive tape. Four cases are presented of sensitivity to thiourea compounds in diazo-sensitized paper. Three of these patients were contact allergic to dimethylthiourea, and the other was contact and photocontact allergic to thiourea. These skin problems were mainly induced by airborne contact.