Contact Dermatitis to Copper

Pain and pruritus of the neck and upper chest began to bother a 43-year-old woman several hours after she put on a new copper necklace. Vigorous scratching of the affected area caused excoriation of the skin, which can mask the eruption and complicate diagnosis.

Gopi Rana-Mukkavilli, MD of New York City writes that the patient was afebrile; the neutrophil count was normal. An elevated eosinophil count suggested an allergic component to the rash. Contact dermatitis to copper with superficial excoriations was diagnosed.

Oral corticosteroids, a 7-day course of doxycycline, and topical mupirocin were prescribed. The antibiotic agents were used to prevent superficial bacterial infection secondary to the severe scratching. The area cleared completely in a month. The patient was warned not to wear copper jewelry in the future.