[Contact allergy to the preservative bronopol].

Six cases of contact allergy to bronopol are described (5 females, 1 male; mean age, 60.8 years). Four patients suffered from stasis dermatitis of the lower leg. The cause of sensitization has been traced to bronopol-containing ointments in 5 of 6 cases. For patch testing 0.25% bronopol in petrolatum is recommended. One-third of the patients were also sensitized to formaldehyde, which is a degradation product of bronopol.