[Contact allergy caused by triethanolamine].

Triethanolamine and its compounds are used as emulsifiers, stabilizers, and saponifying agents in chemical industry. A total of 1,357 patients suspected of having allergic eczematous contact dermatitis were patch-tested with triethanolamine. Positive tests were obtained in 41 of these 1,357 patients. Twenty-nine of them had suffered from venous insufficiency or sports injuries. They had used antiphlogistic local medicaments for some time and were most probably sensitized against triethanolamine by these topical drugs.