© 2002 Occupational and Environmental Medicine
EDUCATION
Natural rubber latex allergy
1 Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
2 Department of Dermatology, Tampere University Hospital and University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
3 National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland
Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr Harri Alenius, Department of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41b, FIN-00250 Helsinki, Finland;
harri.alenius@occuphealth.fi
Keywords: latex; allergy
Immediate hypersensitivity to natural rubber latex (NRL) has become increasingly common during the last 20 years. It is currently one of the most frequently encountered occupational diseases among the healthcare workers and a problem even in other occupations where protective gloves are used.
Several groups at high risk for developing NRL allergy have been defined, including healthcare workers and children with spina bifida or other congenital malformations. However, the majority of NRL allergic patients do not belong to any of these groups but are individuals who usually have atopic background and are frequently in contact with NRL products. The wide spectrum of clinical manifestations of NRL allergy range from contact urticaria and rhinitis to severe systemic reactions—for example, asthma and anaphylaxis. Importantly also, NRL allergens become easily airborne with glove powder and may cause occupational asthma in individuals sensitised to NRL. In addition, a "latex fruit syndrome" has been described
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