Granulomatous contact dermatitis due to gold earrings

Abstract

A young female developed persistent nodules at sites of ear piercing with gold earrings and patch testing demonstrated a positive allergic response to gold sodium thiosulphate. Histological examination of the nodules demonstrated a prominent sarcoidal-type granulomatous tissue reaction. This is in contrast to previous reports of lymphocytoma cutis type histology and was associated with the occurrence of epithelioid granulomata at the site of a strongly positive and long-lasting patch-test reaction.