Eczematous drug eruption from carbamazepine: coexistence of contact and photocontact sensitivity

Abstract

We report a 46-year-old patient with an eczematous eruption on sun-exposed areas which we believe was caused by carbamazepine intake. Oral provocation with the drug produced papulo-vesicular eruptions that were greatly potentiated by long-wave ultraviolet irradiation. Positive reactions to carbamazepine were elicited by patch and photopatch tests and by lymphocyte stimulation tests 6 months after cessation of the intake of carbamazepine.